It's not history that repeats itself, it is people that never change.

Notes - 2020 - Diary

From end of 2020 to start of 2020.

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A lot of diesel spilled into the Siberian River - the situation is so complicated that it was suggested that everything be set on fire. A power plant manager is arrested after 20,000 tonnes of oil polluted an Arctic river.

SpaceX shares photos and reports that the Falcon 9 rocket, which helped astronauts ascend into space, has been transported home.

The Nigerian woman who was advertised for sale on Facebook in Lebanon has refused to return home, according to the head of Nigeria's diaspora commission. The woman was being sold for $1,000 (£793). She was rescued by the Lebanese authorities and taken to the Nigerian embassy in Beirut.

Kenya's health ministry has said it will soon roll out home-based care for Covid-19 patients because the country's isolation facilities are almost full.

China is hitting back at the US for supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrations last year.

Torn down by mob, Catholic statue rises again, a controversial statue of the Virgin Mary erected in the 17th Century is hoisted back in Prague.

Parents Kate and Gerry McCann have spent 13 years searching for answers over their missing daughter. German prosecutors suggest the girl is dead. A German man, 43, is being investigated on suspicion of murder over the British girl’s disappearance.

Norway landslide sweeps homes into the sea.

Facebook removes 'inauthentic' George Floyd groups.

US poultry executives charged in chicken price plot, a grand jury has charged four producers with rigging chicken prices for years.

An inquiry is ordered in India after the pregnant elephant ate a pineapple containing firecrackers and died.

Libya government regains full control of Tripoli, Gen Khalifa Haftar's forces have been besieging the capital for more than a year.

The UN refugee agency says more than 7,000 have fled their homes after a deadly militant attack on an area housing 35,000 Malian refugees and internally displaced people in western Niger.

Porn star held after man dies in toad-venom ritual, Spanish police investigate Nacho Vidal over the death of a man who inhaled a psychedelic substance.

The German government says it will provide a stimulus package worth €130bn (£116bn; $146bn) to kick-start the economy, stricken by the coronavirus pandemic. The package, to be spread into 2021, includes a €300 payment per child for families and a six-month cut in the VAT rate, from 19% to 16%. The government is also earmarking €7bn for hydrogen technology to help cut carbon emissions. Anyone buying an electric vehicle will be entitled to a €6,000 government subsidy towards it – double the current subsidy. The EU already has plans for more than €1 trillion in aid for Europe’s ailing economies, but there are political tensions over the huge spending plans.

Police in Nigeria are investigating the rape and murder of 18-year-old student.

South Korean activists have launched balloons containing leaflets condemning North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The North Korean leadership has called the balloon-senders "human scum" and "mongrel dogs".

Top Gambian officials linked to smuggling of rare tree, Rosewood tree is one of the most trafficked species on earth. A new report by a US-based agency has alleged that the Gambian authorities have systematically undermined their own ban on the export of rosewood.

Reports from Libya say that forces loyal to the internationally recognised government have recaptured Tripoli airport from the forces of its rival Gen Khalifa Haftar.

Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory in the 1920 Trianon treaty and now aims to revive its past.

Any day now, it's possible that two men will be executed in the only European country where the death penalty still exists - but their family will never find out when they were shot, or where they were buried. "When the judge read out the verdict to 'apply an exceptional measure of punishment in the form of execution', people in the courtroom began to clap," she says. A month earlier, the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, had told a Russian radio station the case was under his personal control.

New charges brought over George Floyd's death, ex-officer Derek Chauvin now faces second-degree murder, while three others face abetting charges.

Football fans appear to flout social distancing rules after being allowed to attend the Hungarian Cup final.

Trump denies protests forced him into the bunker, the president also defends his race relations record as anger continues over George Floyd's death.

Teams will be able to replace red-carded players 20 minutes after their dismissal in New Zealand's Super Rugby tournament.

SA mum arrested after missing six-year-old daughter was found dead.

Gambia wants probe on US shooting of diplomat's son, Gambia's government wants the US to conduct a "transparent" and "credible" investigation into the death of its citizen in the city of Atlanta.

France's virus-tracing app 'off to a good start', France's digital minister says 600,000 people installed the app in its first hours of release.

Hundreds of Nigerian health workers test positive.

'Two killed' in Juba protests in Shirkat area of South Sudan's capital Juba after a gunman opened fire, protesters say the gunman is a relative of President Salva Kiir.

Lesotho's former first lady has been arrested over the murder of the estranged wife of her husband, the recently resigned prime minister Thomas Thabane.

Kenya's police has warned of a rise in cases of online sex predators who are targeting children who are studying online after schools were closed because of coronavirus outbreak.

Google takes down app that remove Chinese software, remove China Apps was developed by an Indian company, amid rising tension between the two nations.

The US president announces he is deploying the military to quell unrest in Washington DC.

Cameroon has recorded a rise in new coronavirus cases after reopening schools for 5 days.

The army in Sudan has used barbed wire and concrete to block off roads leading to its headquarters in the capital, Khartoum. The move is to prevent people gathering there to commemorate a massacre that took place at the site a year ago. More than 100 people were killed on 3 June last year, when the army attacked and cleared a protest camp opposite the army headquarters.

A South African court has found some coronavirus lockdown regulations imposed by the government "unconstitutional and invalid".

Russia is preparing to test a coronavirus vaccine with 50 volunteer soldiers.

The findings of an independent study of George Floyd's body are published: he was suffocated. Situation in the US heats up: Trump threatens to send thousands of troops to the streets, arresting at least 5,600 people.

Electronic money institution ConnectPay was fined 110 thousand euros. The Bank of Lithuania awarded it for the incorrectly assessed risk of money laundering and terrorist financing by customers.

Hungarian airline Wizz Air resumes regular flights from Palanga to Dortmund. This is the first flight from Palanga Airport since the second half of March, when Lithuania has announced quarantine.

Law enforcement detained the President of the Lithuanian Business Confederation and the President of the Lithuanian Banking Association, the prosecutor's office reported. It was clarified that trade in influence was suspected and that business-friendly decisions could be rewarded. It is believed that harm can be done to all taxpayers.

Representatives of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention now say the new coronavirus in the Wuhan live food market has not jumped from animal to human, but it could have become the site of an early, ultra-rapid spread of the virus. However, experts are still unable to answer exactly where the new coronavirus came from.

SpaceX is making a historic flight into space. Nearly 10 years later, two American astronauts took off from U.S. territory and did so for the first time with a privately held spacecraft. They have already joined the International Space Station.

The two main sides of Libya's civil war have agreed to resume stalled ceasefire talks on how to end months of fighting, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has said.

A Kenyan boy is among this year's recipients of state commendations for his invention of a hand washing machine. Nine-year-old Stephen Wamukota used wood to suspend a jerrycan of water and create a pedal to be used to dispense water and soap and avoid contact.

Farming and fishing communities in Southeast Asia are embracing online selling for the first time during lockdown.

All but one Iraq war case against UK soldiers dropped, there were more than 3,000 war crimes allegations made against British troops relating to the conflict.

From police brutality to systemic racism, US protesters explain why they have taken to the streets. Still looting can't be explained or accepted. An ex-police officer in Minneapolis is detained over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd.

Japan lightens mood with surprise fireworks, the displays, at secret locations across Japan, were designed to lift spirits amid the pandemic.

Mozambique's government says 78 Islamist insurgents have been killed in fighting with the security forces over the past few days.

New Ebola outbreak hits DR Congo.

Twelve men have been arrested in Nigeria, accused of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl over a two-month period.

A Cameroonian journalist working for the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle is receiving treatment after being beaten by soldiers in the country's Anglophone area where separatists are fighting for independence.

One storm floods Oman, another could drench Mumbai.

Tropical Storm Amanda kills 14 in El Salvador.

The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they have arrested a militia leader who is one of the main suspects in the murder of two United Nations experts.

Mining firm sorry for destroying Aboriginal caves, the caves in Western Australia sheltered prehistoric people in the Ice Age 46,000 years ago.

At least 10 people have been killed after a minibus hit a landmine near Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

Trump terminates US relationship with WHO, the president accuses the UN health agency of "failing" over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US pushes for new inquiry into allegations of corruption against the African Development Bank boss.

China and India face off on the roof of the world, tensions in the Himalaya have the potential to escalate as they pursue their strategic goals.

'Path to UK citizenship' for 2.9m HK residents. China fury amid global pressure over Hong Kong. The UK and US condemn plans for a new security law at the UN Security Council, drawing Beijing's ire.

French carmaker Renault has said it will lay off almost 15,000 workers worldwide, including 4,600 in France. The aim is to save € 2 billion over 3 years.

The Chinese mountaineering expedition climbed the highest peak in Everest (Jomolungma) in the world on Wednesday morning, and they will install special equipment there to measure the height of the mountain again.

The U.S. Navy has posted a video on its social network account showing an American ship in the Pacific Ocean using a solid-state laser shot down flying an unmanned aircraft.

For the first time, Twitter has hidden a tweet on the US president's profile behind a warning.

The US city sees a third night of unrest sparked by the death of an unarmed black man in custody.

Rwanda's High Court has sentenced a former mayor to life in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide.

Moscow more than doubles Covid-19 death toll, officials now say 1,561 people died from the disease in April - not 639 as initially announced.

Australian court grants access to Queen's letters, the Queen's letters about the 1975 sacking of Australia's PM will be made public after a legal fight.

There are reports from Mali that 27 civilians have been killed during three attacks on villages which are home to people from the Dogon ethnic group.

Thirty migrants are reported to have been killed in western Libya in revenge for the murder of a man involved in human trafficking.

Gunmen have killed dozens of people and wounded many others in a series of attacks on several villages in Nigeria’s north-western state of Sokoto.

Cyprus to pay holiday costs of infected tourists, the government will cover anyone who tests positive while on holiday on the Mediterranean island.

On 9 February 2020 a boat carrying 91 people – migrants from sub-Saharan Africa – disappeared in the Mediterranean.

About 400 people have escaped from a coronavirus quarantine centre in Malawi's second largest city, Blantyre, after complaining about its poor state.

Lorry deaths of Vietnamese in UK spark 26 arrests, Police in Belgium and France detain 13 people in an operation prompted by the deaths of 39 migrants.

Big day for Nasa and SpaceX stymied by weather, a late decision is made to delay the first astronaut launch to orbit from US soil in nine years.

38 people have been killed by an armed group in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Russia urges peace talks as the US accuses it of meddling in the Libya conflict.

Lithuanian employers are generous with bonuses during quarantine: 23 companies paid more than 10 thousand Eur to their employees.

Neutrinos in supermassive black holes have been discovered, neutrinos are extremely low-mass elementary particles. They don’t interact with matter at all: more than a trillion neutrinos cross your body in a second, but they don’t have any noticeable effect on you, or other objects.

Thousands protest in Ecuador against coronavirus cuts, the president announced the closure of seven state-owned companies last week, leading to job cuts.

Spain to stop quarantining arrivals from 1 July.

Iran reopens shrines after two-month virus closure.

France elects first transgender mayor.

Chaos at India airports as flights resume, nearly 100 flights have been cancelled after passenger planes restarted operations after two months.

Nigeria has fined British aviation company Flairjet after its plane contravened a ban on commercial flights imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

At least four people have been killed and 15 others were injured in Somalia when an explosion went off during Eid celebrations.

Iran oil tanker reaches Venezuela amid US tension, five tankers are being escorted by the Venezuelan military as the country struggles with shortages.

Millions of cicadas emerge in the US after 17 years, after spending most of their lives in the soil, periodical cicadas will come out in three US states.

Taliban prisoner release amid Afghan ceasefire, the government says up to 2,000 prisoners will be freed, after the Islamist group proposed a truce.

China accuses US of spreading virus 'conspiracies'.

Israeli PM Netanyahu goes on trial for corruption.

HK police fire tear gas at security law protesters, thousands rally in Hong Kong for the first time since China announced plans for a new security law.

Covid cases traced to church service in Germany, over 40 people who attended a Baptist service in Frankfurt after curbs were eased were infected.

Spanish anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands, an opposition party urges people to protest from their cars in order to maintain social distancing.

Alligator who survived WW2 Berlin bombing dies. His colourful history included escaping from a zoo and a rumour he once belonged to Adolf Hitler.

Iranian Parkour athlete arrested over a rooftop kiss, Alireza Japalaghy performs life-threatening stunts, but has been detained for 'vulgar acts'.

Plucky water bird stabs eagle in heart with beak, the loon, which is on Canada's dollar coin, and the eagle, America's national bird, fought to the death.

White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator Dr Deborah Birx was asked during a briefing about a large study of hydroxychloroquine, which found an increased risk of death for those taking it as a Covid-19 treatment.

Dozens die as Pakistan jet crashes into homes, 97 people die - but two passengers survive - as the PIA plane hits a Karachi residential area.

Around 4,300 recovering Covid-19 patients in New York were sent to already vulnerable nursing homes.

The powerful Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been taken to hospital with suspected coronavirus.

A news editor has been jailed for two years in Myanmar after wrongly reporting a coronavirus death.

Remains of top Rwandan genocide suspect discovered, Augustin Bizimana was defence minister when about 800,000 people were killed in 100 days.

Son 'kills father' during Zoom chat with 20 others, several chat participants witness the stabbing of a Long Island man by his son.

At least 13 Kenyans have died from cholera since the onset of the current rains in the country.

A boy who was "butchered" in a drugs turf war after being groomed by drug dealers had been arrested in a crack den months earlier but police did not contact child exploitation staff, a report has found. Jaden Moodie was 14 when he was knocked off his moped and stabbed to death in east London, in January 2019. A serious case review found chances to protect him were missed by agencies.

Telecommunications company Bitė Lietuva buys the Internet, data transmission and IPTV business of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Center (Telecentro) Mezon for more than 20 million euros.

Scientists have captured images that could be the first direct evidence of a "nascent" planet.

Researchers in the U.S. and Italy have conducted an interesting study that has shown that following a fasting-like diet and taking vitamin C can slow the progression of aggressive forms of cancer.

Archaeologists have been able to identify the substance they found in an ancient Egyptian tomb - it turns out it is a 3200-year-old cheese.

At least 50 healthcare workers were fined and three people arrested for a protest outside a hospital in Paris. More than 400 doctors, nurses and ancillary staff wore scrubs and banged trays and pans to demand better funding for the hospital, which French media report is in financial difficulty. The demonstrators were breaking social distancing rules, police have said.

Police in Liberia are investigating a complaint by Charles Sirleaf, son of the ex-president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, that a sum of more than $800,000 (£649,000) has gone missing from his accounts at a commercial bank in the capital, Monrovia.

Three killed during Sri Lanka cash handout, a crush occurred in Colombo as a businessman reportedly gave cash aid for the coronavirus outbreak.

Two-day-old baby dies with coronavirus in S Africa.

Two Nigerian soldiers are to undergo counselling for mental stress after they were seen in a viral video complaining about being ill-equipped to deal with Boko Haram militants.

Mozambique’s government has revoked a decree passed last July requiring journalists to pay hefty accreditation fees. Foreign correspondents had to pay $2,500 (£2,000) for each trip to the country and those living here had to pay $8,300 a year. Local journalists reporting for foreign outlets had to pay an annual fee of $3,500. Freelancers had to pay $500 each year.

'Three hundred killed' in South Sudan clashes among those killed in the fighting are three aid workers.

Cyclone devastates Kolkata and leaves scores dead, one of India's major cities is reeling as more than 80 deaths are confirmed along the Bengal coast.

US poison control centre calls more than double, more than 3,600 cases of disinfectant exposure reported in April compared to 1,676 in February.

Dozens of people have been abducted in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group originally from Uganda.

The Mozambican government has reopened the strategic port of Mocimboa da Praia in the oil-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado, two months after it was destroyed by Islamist militants.

A newly discovered tiny species of frog has already been classified as critically endangered. The Stumpffia Froschaueri, which measures just 1cm in length,was discovered in a north-western region of Madagascar.

Venezuela's military to escort Iranian oil tankers. The tankers, bringing much-needed petrol, will be "welcomed" into its exclusive economic zone.

Uganda's health minister has revised downwards the country's total number of coronavirus cases following President Yoweri Museveni's directive to expunge all foreign drivers from the tally.

India, doctor who raised the alarm sent to a mental hospital.

World sees highest daily increase in virus cases, the head of the World Health Organization warns the pandemic is a "long way" from being over.

The German car giant has apologised and withdrawn a series of adverts after a racism row.

Northern Mozambique say more than 30 bodies have been found on a road in the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado.

The financially troubled state-owned South African defence manufacturer Denel has warned that it cannot pay salaries to its staff this May.

A South Korean club is fined 100 million won (£66,500) for filling empty seats with sex dolls at their recent home match.

There are no mint cigarettes left in the European Union, and any menthol-smelling cigarettes are banned in the Community because menthol suppresses the taste of tobacco and thus encourages tobacco consumption.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said medics who have complained about a lack of protection against coronavirus are "provocateurs" and should be fired.

Millions evacuated ahead of the super cyclone, one of the biggest tropical storms in years is barrelling towards the coast of India and Bangladesh.

A new police app in China puts child abduction at the top of a list of crimes citizens can now report using the app.

Brazil is now only behind the US and Russia in numbers of confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Australian man fined for rescuing a trapped whale, after rescuers failed to arrive, the man launched his own rescue, driving his boat out to the whale.

Chile protests over lockdown food shortages.

Swedish healthcare is under scrutiny over the high rate of Covid-19 deaths in care homes.

Macron and Merkel float 'ambitious' EU virus fund, the plan would see €500bn of grants distributed to EU member states worst affected by the pandemic.

Rare 'toothless' dinosaur identified in Australia, the elaphrosaurus roamed Australia 110 million years ago and was related to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

A TV channel in the UK owned by one of Nigeria's most flamboyant evangelical pastors has been sanctioned by Ofcom, the broadcasting authority in London.

Somalia flooding forces 400,000 from homes.

China claims to produce vaccines for covid-19 and will be available for poor countries too.

US president Trump fires state department inspector general.

Italians return to churches and cafes, Italy, Spain and Portugal are among European countries further relaxing virus-related restrictions.

The internationally-recognised government in Libya says its forces have taken a strategically important airbase from fighters loyal to renegade Gen Khalifa Haftar - the military commander who's been besieging Tripoli for more than a year.

Borussia Dortmund beat local rivals Schalke 4-0 in an almost empty stadium, as football returned in Germany with the resumption of the Bundesliga.

The African Union and the United Nations have raised concerns about clashes in Burundi between rival supporters during campaigns ahead of next presidential and parliamentary elections.

While in many countries doctors and nurses are being praised for their work on the coronavirus front line, in Mexico dozens have been attacked.

Panama's lockdown allows men and women out on alternate days - but for trans people it's been tough.

France has condemned the reported sentencing of a French-Iranian academic to six years in prison in Iran. Fariba Adelkhah was handed a five-year term for conspiring against national security and one year for propaganda. The 61-year-old anthropologist and researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris was detained in June last year along with her French colleague Roland Marchal. Mr Marchal was released in March this year as part of a prisoner swap.

The teenage Pakistani girls were reportedly killed by a relative after a video showed them with a man.

Rival Afghan leaders sign power-sharing deal.

At least 20 killed in machete attack in DR Congo.

Mexican journalist killed in 'armed attack', Jorge Armenta, director of Medios Obson, had received threats and was under government protection.

Chinese ambassador to Israel was found dead at home. Initial findings suggest there was no foul play in the death of Du Wei at his home near Tel Aviv.

Police in Myanmar have seized South East Asia's biggest ever haul of synthetic drugs, the scale of which they described as "off the charts". More than 200m methamphetamine tablets, 500kg of crystal methamphetamine and 300kg of heroin were found in raids in north-east Shan state.

An explosion in Somalia has killed at least four people including a regional governor.

LA hash oil factory blast injures 11 firefighters.

One every eight minutes: India's missing children, many of those who vanish are trafficked and exploited, but there's little public outrage.

An RAF squadron leader swaps his uniform for a Star Wars outfit and runs 1000 miles in a bid to raise £50,000.

Second Brazil health minister quits in a month.

In UK covid19 killed key-workers from 100,000 only 6 are white, no study can't explain why.

Countries and companies going bankrupt… worldsite.co.uk can't understand how in just 3 month companies that were having millions and billions in revenue (after everything including salaries, expenses, tax was paid) claimed bankruptcy. It can be just on 'hold' (so no tax, no salaries, some expenses only). Anyway on top of that the government from lockdown is looking for profit and rising stocks, instead of saving lives, life's that pay taxes, life's that are consumers.

The Baltic States, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have lifted restrictions on citizens traveling between the Baltic States.

An FNTT official arrested in a corruption case in Lithuania was awarded a letter of thanks a month ago.

The Chinese will seek to overwhelm the world by building a 570,000-square-meter town underground.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong are announcing the creation of super-steel.

A team of engineers came up with how to use magical perovskite to make ultra-thin, flexible solar cells. And these electricity generating elements would be used indoors.

Sweden is already taking the first steps towards using hydrogen fuel in steel mills.

A study in Estonia showed how rapidly the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates: there are already as many as 8 strains.

Three opposition officials in Zimbabwe, including a member of parliament, have been found "badly beaten and dumped along a road".

The authorities in Ethiopia's restive north-western Amhara State have announced the seizure of thousands of assorted illegal firearms, including over 5,000 pistols, in the past nine months.

At least 10,000 undocumented migrants have returned to Ethiopia, many from the Middle East, since Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic.

Mozambican security forces have killed about 50 Islamist militants in the oil-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado in just 10 days.

Bear the dog saves more than 100 injured koalas, a koala-detecting dog has come to the rescue in the aftermath of Australia's fires.

Amazon to make face shields and sell at cost, the online retailer will sell protective equipment without making a profit in the United States.

French drug giant rows back after vaccine storm, Sanofi's apparent readiness to favour the US market with any Covid-19 vaccine caused a row in France.

Two pandas are expected to be returned to China due to a shortage of imported bamboo because coronavirus has grounded flights.

France gives online firms one hour to pull content, websites will have just one hour to pull content reported by police, or face huge fines.

The ex-military chief who will be Israel's next PM, Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival, will take office in 2021 under a power-sharing deal.

India announces free food for fleeing migrants, tens of thousands of people have been leaving cities on foot, trying to return to their villages.

Eritrean activists have sued the European Union, demanding it stop funding a project which they say uses forced labour. National service recruits were set to be used and the Foundation Human Rights for Eritreans (FHRE) says conscripts are "trapped for an indefinite period". The group, which is based in the Netherlands, accused the EU of failing to conduct adequate checks before it provided more than $85m (£70m) to finance a road linking Eritrea with Ethiopia. The European Commission said its actions were guided by the rule of law.

Scientists 'find a way to fight coral bleaching', researchers say they have developed a lab-grown strain of microalgae which is more tolerant to heat.

New Zealand has reported no new cases of the virus in the past three days and reopens shops, cafes and parks.

98-year-old woman recovers from coronavirus in Lagos.

Burundi has expelled the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the country and three other health experts. An unsigned letter from the foreign affairs ministry declares the WHO representative Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo and three others as "persona non grata" and gives them 48 hours to leave the country.

Twelve terror suspects 'found dead in their cells', an investigation is launched after 12 people die in police cells overnight in Burkina Faso.

India, Pakistan to make drug to 'fight coronavirus', the deal between Gilead and companies in South Asia will help make the drug for 127 countries.

US accuses China of hacking coronavirus research, the FBI said it had seen hacking attempts on groups researching vaccines, treatments and testing.

Brazil records highest daily rise in virus deaths, the country, which is at the centre of the Latin American outbreak, registers 881 deaths in a day.

Six members of Cameroon’s opposition party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), have been arrested for distributing face masks and hand sanitisers in the capital, Yaoundé. The six men were picked up at the Mokolo market, one of the largest in the country. Opposition activists say that the arrests were politically motivated. But police say that those arrested were involved in an “illegal campaign”. The MRC had launched a fundraising initiative in early April to raise money for the fight against coronavirus, but it was banned by the authorities.

Germany's chancellor confirms she was targeted by hackers said to be Russian military intelligence.

Lesotho is last African nation to record Covid-19.

Adulterated alcohol kills dozens in Mexico, police are searching for the source of the bootleg liquor which has left 46 dead in two states.

Around 75 fighters from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram have been killed, by the government of Niger.

At least 23,000 people escaping violence in north-western Nigeria have fled to neighbouring Niger.

Mozambique's Constitutional Court has annulled $1.4bn (£1.1bn) worth of loans borrowed from foreign banks by state-owned security companies. This means the country is not obliged to pay them back. Mozambique's economy has been in crisis since 2016, when it emerged the country had more than $2bn of undisclosed state debts.

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested two Chinese nationals for allegedly offering a $250,000 (£203,000) bribe in local currency to one of its senior officials. The alleged bribe was said to be an attempt to scuttle an investigation into multi-million dollar corruption allegations involving a Chinese construction company in Nigeria where the two suspects work.

It took until 1999 for Japanese women to be allowed to take the contraceptive pill.

'Oldest woman in Spain' beats coronavirus at 113.

Babies killed as gunmen storm maternity ward, fourteen people, including two infants, died in the militant attack in the Afghan capital Kabul.

US top court hears cases over Trump's tax returns, the Supreme Court will rule on the president's attempts to keep his financial records secret.

Fake Bruce Lee signature used in court, the Angolan billionaire says documents included a forged passport using the late film star's signature.

The Colombian jail with 859 coronavirus cases, the director of the prison in the city of Villavicencio says overcrowding is to blame.

Russian diplomat named in 'Prague poison plot' row, Russia's embassy in Prague asks for police protection in response to the report on Czech TV.

Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos has called for her assets in Angola and Portugal to be unfrozen because she says there is evidence the state and courts colluded against her using fabricated evidence. In January, prosecutors in Angola accused the daughter of the former Angolan president and her associates of mismanaging and embezzling $1bn (£800m) from the state oil firm.

Impressive weather changes came to Lithuania: at night the raging wind turned down the trees - the country was covered by snow some places haven’t seen that much snow during winter, no electricity for about 10 thousand households.

China has published a list of 79 commodity groups for which imports from the United States will be lifted by customs duties imposed during the trade war.

Five Covid-19 patients die in St Petersburg hospital fire after short-circuit in ventilator.

Police in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, have arrested 1,400 people in just a week for flouting measures to stop the spread of coronavirus after the lifting of a lockdown.

Gunmen storm Kabul maternity hospital, Afghan special forces are battling gunmen at a clinic in the capital.

India CO2 emissions fall for first time in decades.

Israel turns surveillance tools on itself, counter-terror technology is being applied in the fight against Covid-19, raising privacy concerns.

India jails pregnant student despite Covid-19 risk, among a number of Muslim students and activists jailed during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Argentina debt talks deadlocked as deadline looms.

Hotels demolished over 'breach of lockdown rules', the managers of the two hotels in southern Nigeria's Rivers state deny that they broke the rules.

IS regional leader 'arrested in Afghanistan', reportedly captured with two other IS leaders in a special operation in Kabul.

Putin eases Russian lockdown as cases rise, Russia has reported more than 232k cases of the virus, the second highest tally worldwide.

The record water levels in Lake Victoria forced authorities in Uganda to ration power over the weekend. The lake is the source of water for the country's four big hydro-power plants along the River Nile and following heavy rains the water level has risen to its highest since 1964.

Iranian sailors killed in 'friendly fire' incident, nineteen sailors died when their ship was reportedly hit during a test of a new missile.

Sudan has sent 300 military vehicles to South Darfur state following ethnic clashes which have killed dozens of people.

Visitors return to Shanghai Disneyland as it opens its doors for the first time in more than three months.

Skateboarder, 11, lands record 1080-degree turn, Brazil achieved the goal after using his time in lockdown to practise.

The four-legged robot carries a camera and speaker to play social distancing messages in Singapore.

Feared gang leader dies with Covid-19 in prison, Mexican Moisés Escamilla was serving a sentence for crimes including the decapitation of 12 people.

Man City parent company to buy Belgian club.

Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman has been banned for six years from all forms of cricket after breaching anti-corruption rules.

The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic began, has confirmed a small cluster of new, locally-transmitted infections. A lockdown on Wuhan was lifted a month ago and, prior to the latest infections, the city had had several days without any new cases reported.

Colombian airline Avianca files for bankruptcy, the firm said its income has dropped 80% since grounding its fleet due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic is limiting the ability of people to send and receive money around the world.

Zambia praises sex workers for 'coronavirus tracing', there has been a surge in infections, mainly among sex workers and lorry drivers, in a border town.

Mayor killed in Cameroon's English-speaking region, the mayor of a town in south-west Cameroon has been killed by separatist gunmen.

Italian aid worker, 25, kidnapped in Kenya returns home, was freed in Somalia, in an operation by Italy's secret services.

Malta envoy quits after comparing Merkel to Hitler.

Hundreds flee South Sudan after rebel attacks.

Infection rate rises in Germany as lockdown eases.

Indian and Chinese border troops 'exchange blows', four Indian soldiers and seven Chinese soldiers are reportedly injured in a border fist fight.

Six die in clashes at Afghan food aid protest.

Many countries celebrate WorldWar ll victory day without gatherings.

Russia marks Victory Day with subdued celebrations, parade for an air show.

Belarus goes ahead with a Victory Day parade.

Brazil's Amazon sees surge in deforestation, the military is preparing to deploy to the region to try to stop illegal logging and mining.

Italian death toll tops 30,000, highest in the EU.

Trump denies role in Venezuela incursion, Venezuela has accused the US of being behind a botched raid to oust President Maduro.

The EU has criticised its ambassador to Beijing, after he allowed China to censor an open letter calling for closer cooperation during the pandemic.

South African Breweries (SAB), the country's largest alcohol brewer, has dumped more than 25,000 litres of beer at its Rosslyn plant in the capital, Pretoria, during the country's dry lockdown. It plans to dispose of 130 million litres of beer in all, because it has run out of space to legally store alcohol at its facilities.

German airline giant Lufthansa has confirmed that € 9 billion in support has already been offered in negotiations with Berlin in exchange for a 25 percent stake of the company.

The United States, along with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, has condemned attempts to "falsify history," according to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, a declaration directed against Russian propaganda to justify Soviet crimes.

Up to 400,000 gowns ordered by the UK do not meet British safety standards.

Uganda's $491m coronavirus loan approved by IMF.

Hundreds injured and 11 dead in Indian chemicals plant gas leak.

Kenya's government says it will now start covering the costs of people sent into quarantine because they are suspected of having coronavirus.

Russian group Wagner 'fighting in Libya', the private military group has up to 1,200 members supporting a renegade general.

A virtual meeting held by a South African parliamentary committee has been hacked and the speaker abused. The programming committee's session had just started when pornographic images appeared on the screen and a male voice hurled insults at Speaker Thandi Modise, who was chairing it.

President Donald Trump says the coronavirus pandemic is a worse "attack" than Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Russia brings army doctors home from Italy.

Mexico receives ventilator shipment from the US, the 211 machines were purchased from a US firm.

Germany says the football Bundesliga will resume this month and shops reopen.

Mozambique suggest the army has retaken control of an important town captured earlier this year by militant Islamist rebels.

Covid-19 lockdown costs India 120 million jobs.

Indian forces kill top Kashmir militant.

Fire engulfed a skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates, twelve people were injured by the blaze in a 49-storey residential building in Sharjah.

Thieves used a quiet weekend to steal almost 100 vehicles, shattering New Zealand's sense of community.

The North Magnetic Pole has been racing across the top of the world, from Canada in 1840 towards Siberia in 2019.

The U.S. held an operation in the Barents Sea for the first time in three decades.

In the world, a person dies from skin cancer every four minutes.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has signed nearly $ 1 billion in contracts with three space technology companies owned by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to develop lunar landing modules.

China has installed an impressive 72-meter-high and 2,700-ton antenna to communicate with Mars, which will be used in the Mars reconnaissance mission.

Sudan appoints first US ambassador in decades.

Australia and New Zealand plan an unrestricted travel corridor which could be extended to other countries.

The Somali authorities say a plane carrying coronavirus aid supplies crashed, killing the six people on board, the aircraft was owned by African Airways.

US store guard killed after mask row with customer, a Michigan store guard is shot in the back of the head after confronting a customer who had no mask.

Italy's desperate receive mafia offers they can't refuse, Italian businesses are crumbling in the crisis, leaving a familiar "benefactor" to fill the vacuum.

In Hungary 84,000 pupils were back in classrooms to sit their high school exams, despite the country's lockdown.

World leaders pledge billions for vaccine fight, more than $8bn (£6.5bn) are pledged to help develop a vaccine and fund research into treatments.

'Murder hornets' land in the US for the first time, the "shockingly large" hornets can kill humans with their sting and are known to destroy beehives.

IS militants 'dumped bodies in Syrian gorge', the al-Hota gorge became "a place of horror" under the jihadist group, Human Rights Watch says.

Russian veterans beat lockdown to mark the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany.

Nigeria has received more than $300m (£241m) that was stolen by the former military ruler, Sani Abacha. The money was returned from the US and the British dependency of Jersey. Under a repatriation agreement it is to be spent on infrastructure projects. Gen Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. The anti corruption agency, Transparency International, estimates he stole as much as $5bn during his time in office.

The animals marched and grazed their way through the empty streets of Samsun in Turkey.

The authorities in south-west Nigeria's Osun State have arrested 27 illegal miners, including 17 Chinese nationals and a local traditional ruler.

Drug kingpin Lord of the Skies' villa sold for $2m, the Mexico City home belonged to the late Amado Carrillo Fuentes, also known as "Lord of the Skies".

Madagascar's president has said that the country will begin clinical trials for an artemisia-based herbal remedy, which he says can cure coronavirus. There is currently no known cure for the virus which has killed almost 250,000 people around the world.

People in Uganda have contributed a total of about $6m (£4.8m) to help the government finance the provision of cars and medical supplies, to support efforts to fight coronavirus.

New virus antibody test is 'fast and accurate', Scientists in Scotland and Switzerland develop a machine which has capacity for up to 3,000 tests a day.

Long queues as India opens liquor shops, states have been pushing for liquor shops to reopen as excise duty on alcohol is a major source of income.

France tries 'thieves' over fake police checks, the suspects posed as officers and robbed victims after checking their lockdown papers.

Togo's President Faure Gnassingbé was sworn for a fourth term at a subdued ceremony in the capital, Lome.

The government claims Colombian "terrorist mercenaries" tried to enter Venezuela on speedboats.

Afghanistan is investigating the alleged torture and drowning of migrants at the Iranian border.

The National Union of Somali Journalists has called on the government to stop harassing and intimidating journalists.

South Korea says bullets hit one of its border posts, a day after the North's elusive leader reappears.

Russia's cases jump by 10,633 in one day, as Moscow's mayor warns the peak is yet to come.

Game of Thrones actor breaks deadlift world record lift of a hefty 501kg (1,104lb).

A Czech mayor tells he fears for his life after allegations of a Russian poisoning plot.

Venezuela prison riot leaves more than 40 dead, the prisoners rioted over a lack of food and water, with quarantine measures halting family visits.

Kim Jong-un 'opens fertiliser factory', North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory.

In New York City the newly unemployed are spending hours waiting for food handouts.

Canada announces ban on assault-style weapons, new rules would make it illegal to sell or use 1,500 kinds of assault weapons.

U.S. President D. Trump says he will have evidence of a connection between COVID-19 and Wuhan Laboratory. The U.S. intelligence community has reportedly concluded that the new coronavirus that has spread around the world is native to China but has not been developed by humans or replaced by genetic engineering techniques.

Fighters from Spain, the United Kingdom and France will patrol the Baltic airspace for four months, from May to August.

A giant asteroid flew near the Earth, the approximately 2 km wide celestial body "1998 OR2".

A team of scientists has been able to "hack" the genetic code of two species of tobacco plants, and now these plants are shining, and they do so throughout their lifetime.

Researchers are announcing a breakthrough in developing a different kind of gasoline: it will be an even better fuel than biodiesel or bioethanol.

Sudan bans female genital mutilation.

'World's greatest drummer' Tony Allen dies age 79.

Australian police shoot man dead after stabbings, several people injured at a WA shopping centre.

Kenyan medics 'forced to reuse gowns and masks'.

The Egyptian military says 10 soldiers have been either killed or wounded in an explosion that targeted their armoured vehicle in the troubled northern Sinai region.

No fans, line judges, ball kids or handshakes as tennis returns in Germany.

A drone delivery trial with Ireland's health authority is getting prescriptions and food to those isolating.

Reports from the Central African Republic say at least 37 people have been killed in an attack on the northern town of Ndele. Three rebel groups stormed the main market then attacked other parts of the town, setting up a base in a Catholic church.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a dead man into office, naming the late Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru as a board member for a government agency, two months after he died.

Germany bans and raids Islamist group Hezbollah, all activity is to be halted by the Shia group's political wing, and police carry out raids.

Kenyans online are outraged after the ministry of health spent huge sums on tea, snacks and mobile phone airtime for its staff in the battle against coronavirus pandemic. Some 4m Kenyan shillings ($37,000; £30,000) has been spent on tea and snacks, while 2m Kenyan shillings has been used on airtime for staff, according to the ministry's budget that has been made public. This is part of a budget of 10m Kenyan shillings for tea and snacks for an unspecified period and 6m Kenyan shillings for airtime for three months. Other items in the budget include leasing of ambulances, stationary and fuel. The money was part of the $9.3m donated by the World Bank to Kenya for emergency response during the pandemic.

New York funeral home puts corpses in lorries, police were called after the home in Brooklyn put dozens of bodies in rented trucks.

South Africa has reversed a decision to allow cigarette sales when coronavirus restrictions are eased at the start of next month.

Spain's care home tragedy, with 16,000 care home deaths linked to coronavirus, families want to know what went wrong.

The High Court in Uganda has ordered MPs to hand back a sum of $5,000 (about £4,000) given to each of them to fight coronavirus in their constituencies. The politicians had backed the scheme, which included handouts adding up to a total of around $2.6m. Their move was widely condemned, with President Yoweri Museveni saying it was “morally reprehensible”.

A Kenyan court has upheld the ban on an award-winning film about a lesbian love story.

Mozambique security forces have killed nearly 130 Islamist militants in the three weeks.

Outcry as Spanish beach sprayed with bleach, environmentalists say a misguided attempt to protect residents has damaged a sensitive ecosystem.

Peru jail riot: Nine killed after Covid deaths, dozens of guards were injured during the riot at Castro Castro prison in the capital, Lima.

All lorry drivers crossing over the border into Uganda will not be allowed to carry passengers in their vehicles or to sleep in hotels or other people's homes as part of new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

IMF approves $3.4bn coronavirus aid for Nigeria.

Trump orders meatpacking plants to stay open, as the pandemic squeezes US food supply, the president designates the plants critical infrastructure.

Dozens killed in truck bomb attack at Syria market, Turkey blames the attack in the opposition-controlled city of Afrin on a Kurdish militia group.

Czech press: Assault on the mayor of Prague, arrest of a Russian agent with poison, police protection for the mayor.

In the Lithuanian city of Šiauliai - unexpected discoveries: from the remains of the 15th century to the old city underground.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that there is no evidence that people who test positive for the new coronavirus have acquired immunity to the disease and protection from reinfection.

Australia records just 12 new cases of the virus in 24 hours, as Sydney's beaches begin re-opening.

Four players from National Rugby League are facing fines of up to AUS$50,000 for breaking social distancing rules.

India cancels order for 'faulty' China test kits, states have complained that the rapid test kits have an accuracy rate of only 5%.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has accused Burundi's army of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as he denied claims of deploying his own troops to the region.

Libya's Gen Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are fighting the UN-backed government in the capital Tripoli, has accepted the "popular mandate" to govern the country, he said in a televised address.

Top NYC coronavirus doctor takes her own life.

Argentina halts all flights until 1 September, aviation industry groups warn that the move puts at risk more than 300,000 jobs in the country.

Concerned about coronavirus, Mexican workers are calling for US-owned factories to be closed.

More US states begin lifting virus lockdown orders, some Americans can resume going to restaurants, cinemas and nail salons.

Heavy rains have caused flooding and landslides in many areas of Ethiopia, killing four and displacing hundreds more.

Man jailed for smuggling cocaine from Brazil, he was stopped at Belfast City Airport with three kilos of the class A drug.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has pardoned 833 prisoners in an attempt to reduce overcrowding in prisons during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Germans don compulsory masks as lockdown eases, simple cloth masks are now mandatory on public transport and in shops within most states.

The authorities in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, have made the wearing of face masks mandatory in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Israel 'cannot use phone data for tracking virus', Israel's Supreme Court forces the government to legislate if it wants to keep tracking its citizens.

Saudi Arabia ends execution of minors, The Human Rights Commission says people who committed crimes as minors will no longer be executed.

Million Australians download virus tracing app, the government app notifies users if they have had contact with a user who has Covid-19.

A rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed at least 23 people in Ituri Province in the east of the country.

Yemen separatists declare self-rule in south, the Yemeni government has warned of "dangerous and catastrophic consequences" of the move.

French police seize 140,000 black market masks.

Cattle bandits killed in joint Nigeria-Niger raid. Nigeria’s military says it has killed 89 bandits responsible for a series of attacks against civilians in the country’s north-western Zamfara state.

Muslims mark Ramadan under lockdowns.

The Ecuadorean woman was wrongly declared to be dead, and someone else's ashes were sent to her family.

About 200 protesters gathered in Germany's capital to protest against coronavirus measures.

Belgium unveils plans to lift lockdown, schools will be allowed to reopen from 11 May, but with no more than 10 pupils per class.

India allows small shops to reopen, only half of staff are allowed to work and must take precautions such as wearing face masks.

Across the US, doctors are being rushed out of medical school and onto the frontlines of the pandemic.

In the United States, more than 3,000 people died in one day from COVID-19.

The United States is providing $ 12.1 million in aid to Greenland, but denies that such aid is part of a long-term scheme to buy the island from Denmark.

The Dutch Supreme Court has allowed doctors to perform euthanasia to patients with dementia if the disease is advanced and the patient has previously made a written request to help him die.

Australian scientists say gold deposits form in the Earth's crust during earthquakes.

Daimler will produce hydrogen batteries together with Volvo.

With a single charge 2,000 km, the Australian company has created incredible batteries that can be used not only in electric cars, Brighsun Group claims that “the revolution is coming".

US military declares virus emergency in Djibouti bases.

Egypt's prime minister has announced that night-time curfew hours will be shortened during the holy month of Ramadhan. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the curfew will begin at 21:00 local time (19:00GMT), an hour later than the previous time.

Severe storms and tornadoes in US kill seven.

Almost half of Irish Covid-19 deaths in care homes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is worried that an Ebola patient who escaped from a health centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week is spreading the disease.

One of South Africa’s biggest chain of pharmacies has been referred to the country’s Competition Tribunal for hiking face mask prices by up to 261%.

Two defendants appear in a German court accused of crimes against humanity in Syria.

More than 20 people have been killed by flash floods during the weekend in western Kenya. Dozens of others are missing.

India rapist damages eyes of six-year-old victim, police in Madhya Pradesh say the child was grabbed near her home and subjected to a horrific attack.

Cameroon's football federation promises $88,000 to 1,040 players and coaches to help through coronavirus.

Tullow Oil has agreed to sell its assets in Uganda to the French energy giant Total for $575m (£465m). The sale of Tullow's stake in a development project in the Lake Albert region ends the Irish company's long-running investment in Uganda, a period that has seen the company at odds with the government over issues like tax. The oil reserves have still not been developed.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $363m (£293m) aid package to help the Democratic Republic of Congo deal with the effects of coronavirus.

An Israeli parliamentary committee suspends the tracking of phones to enforce quarantine.

Trump signs immigration green card suspension.

Two police officers are to be charged for beating to death a man who had threatened to film them playing football in contravention of coronavirus restrictions in Mozambique.

Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina says he has been congratulated by his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo for launching a herbal coronavirus "cure". The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no proof of a cure for Covid-19 and the country's national medical academy (Anamem) has also cast doubt on the efficacy of Mr Rajoelina's touted prevention and remedy.

EU states are portrayed as feuding but the 27 leaders believe they have more in common than apart.

Iran says it launched the first military satellite.

S Africa deploys 70,000 troops to enforce lockdown.

The US Congress has passed a new Covid-19 relief package totalling $484bn (£391bn), the fourth aid bill to clear Congress in response to the pandemic.

After more than a decade of stagnation, the United States has appointed an ambassador to Belarus.

The coronavirus pandemic forced Virgin Australia into bankruptcy and transferred control of the company to administrators.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in an interview that alcoholism is the most important problem in Russian society after corruption. 2001 In Russia, 47,000 people died from unhygienically produced alcohol poisoning, and in 2002 intoxicated drivers killed about 30,000 people and injured another 147,000.

On May 27, SpaceX and NASA plan to conduct the first test flight of Crew Dragon with astronauts.

Sri Lanka marks Easter Sunday attack anniversary, more than 250 people were killed by a group of suicide bombers on Easter Sunday last year.

India rescues broke tourists living in the cave, the six tourists moved into a cave after running out of money when India went into lockdown.

A temporary ban on US immigration could affect its technology sector and the foreign talent it needs.

India's coronavirus lockdown cleans up Ganges river, as all factories are shut, there is no discharge of industrial waste into the river.

Facebook removes listings for anti-lockdown protests in the US, protests have been planned across the US calling for the lifting of stay-at-home orders. Facebook said it was only removing events that violated government orders over virus containment.

At least 18 killed in Canada's deadliest shooting, the 12-hour rampage by a man dressed as a policeman ended with a car chase before he was shot dead.

The authorities in Kenya have put 455 people in quarantine facilities after they defied a curfew imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the alleged theft of food packages meant to cushion the poor from hunger during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Nigerian priest is standing down from his Roman Catholic parish in Germany after a series of attacks. Father Patrick Asomugha and the local diocese agreed that his position had become untenable, despite the support of the congregation. Father Asomugha has led the church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Queidersbach municipality in western Germany since 2017. More than 600 people attended an anti-racist service to support him last October. But attacks have escalated. Twice, vandals broke into the vicarage. His car tyres were slashed, and last month came the final straw: a death threat pinned to the garage door.

Human Rights Watch has accused the security forces in Burkina Faso of executing 31 unarmed people in the north of the country just hours after arresting them as part of a counter terrorism operation.

Police in South Africa have arrested a man "smuggling his girlfriend," in the back of a car amidst a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to an official from the province of Guateng.

Australian Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly beaches allow exercise after three weeks of being shut to the public.

More than 100 arrested over India lynching, three men have been beaten to death in Palghar district despite a strict lockdown across the country.

Mozambique expels suspected Brazilian drug lord 'Fuminho'. 'Fuminho' was sent home on a Brazilian air force plane, one of Brazil's most wanted criminals. Gilberto Aparecido dos Santos was allegedly a leader of one of Brazil's most powerful criminal groups - São Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC) drug gang.

Ghana, thousands of illegal gold mines tempt children into potentially lucrative but very dangerous work.

Fruit labourers: 'If you don't want to work like a slave, you're out', the BBC investigates allegations of exploitation in Spain's fruit and vegetable growing region Almeria.

Amazon extends closure of French warehouses.

Boko Haram suspects 'die of poison' in Chad jail, the 44 men were taken into custody around Lake Chad during an offensive against Islamist militants.

Haiti has barely 60 ventilators for 11 million people, and a limited number of doctors who can operate them.

Lesotho's embattled PM sends army into streets, Thomas Thabane, accused of killing his wife in 2017, says he is deploying soldiers to restore order.

High-profile democracy activists arrested in HK, a media tycoon and a number of lawmakers are among those arrested over last year's mass protests.

Some of Europe's leaders stand accused of taking advantage of a health crisis.

The first known comet to visit us from another star system has an unusual make-up, according to new research. The interstellar comet 2I/Borisov was detected in our Solar System last year. This mysterious visitor from the depths of space has provided astronomers with an unprecedented opportunity to compare it to comets that formed around the Sun. New data suggests it contains large amounts of carbon monoxide - a possible clue to where it was "born".

When the Baltic States synchronize their electricity networks with mainland Europe, the second phase of the project in Lithuania will cost 474 million euros.

The Russian spacecraft Soyuz has successfully returned to Earth with three ISS crew members.

When it was decided to raise a 3,000-year-old female mummy from a sarcophagus - and re-mummify it so that it would last even longer and so that it could be exhibited in the 2022 exhibition - no one expected another new discovery. Researchers at the Perth (Scotland) Museum have discovered impressive ancient drawings.

Astronomers are observing a colossal explosion in space - a power never before observed and even claimed to be impossible.

China virus outbreak city increases deaths by 50%, the revision of Wuhan's toll comes amid growing scepticism over the transparency of China's response.

The US president D. Trump suspended paying money to the World Health Organization, because of poor information about the start of Coronavirus in China and it's spread. The French president adds his voice to Western leaders' concern about China's transparency over the outbreak.

A drought as bad as any in recorded history may be under way in the US.

Police in Malawi have arrested two human rights activists and are searching for a third for mobilising people to shut down the country’s state residences.

BBC News examines allegations that the coronavirus was accidentally released from a lab.

Malawians protest over coronavirus lockdown, traders in Malawi's Limbe area in Blantyre District are protesting against a lockdown.

The interior ministry in Tunisia says that two men, including a suspected jihadist, have been arrested over an alleged plot to infect members of the security forces with coronavirus.

Brussels beefs up powers for countries to block foreign takeovers of firms hit by the virus downturn.

China's economy shrinks for first time in decades, its economy shrank 6.8% in the first three months of 2020 as it battled the virus and lockdowns.

India's community health workers say they have to do dangerous work without any benefits.

Bolsonaro fires health minister over coronavirus, the Brazilian president and the minister had publicly clashed over his response to the pandemic.

Police find 17 bodies at US nursing home after tip, seventeen bodies were piled in a morgue built to handle four at a large nursing home in New Jersey.

Russia, Putin postpones WW2 victory parade due to virus.

Security forces kill more Nigerians than coronavirus, eighteen people have been killed during the lockdown, while 12 have been by the virus.

The mayor in Australia’s Victoria state apologises after breaching his own social-distancing advice.

Mauritius and Seychelles have received tonnes of medicine, including thousands of hydroxychloroquine tablets, from India to help in their fight against Covid-19.

More than 20 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last four weeks.

Lions nap on road during South African lockdown, a pride of lions take advantage of traffic-free roads in Kruger National Park for an afternoon rest.

The authorities in Zambia have detained and released the head of Mopani Mines - the local unit of global mining giant Glencore - as he attempted to leave the country. It is not clear on what charges Mr Bullock was detained.

With more graves being dug and little testing, Brazil's coronavirus crisis may be worse than figures show.

Coronavirus infects 668 on French aircraft carrier, the flagship Charles de Gaulle is in quarantine in Toulon, with a third of its 2,000 crew infected.

Botswana leader pardons 149 prisoners.

US accuses Iran of harassing warships in Gulf, Iranian vessels carried out "dangerous and provocative actions".

President Trump says the US is investigating claims the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab.

The Italian media has unmasked another idea of the Kremlin: The Kremlin has launched a public relations campaign aimed at bribing Italians and thus improving its image abroad.

Representatives of the South Korean Ministry of Health have announced that found more than 90 positive cases of coronavirus infection, have been reported in individuals who have already developed COVID-19 and are fully recovered.

A new study in Germany has shown that more people not infected with the new coronavirus have gained immunity. The researchers, who tested all the inhabitants of the epicenter of the single-city outbreak in the country and found that as many as 15 percent of population in their bodies produced antibodies - even though only 2 percent were infected - conclude that it's time to phase out the restrictions on public life.

Greenland sharks are 5-meter-long predators with a lifespan of 400 years (which means these creatures are the longest-lived vertebrates in the world). Moreover, females of these sharks are ready for reproduction no earlier than 156 years of age.

Irish citizen questioned over €15m mask scam, police in Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany are investigating a fake website over the scam.

A Ugandan gay refugee took his life outside the office of the UN refugee agency in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

South Africa's education minister has condemned the vandalism of 183 schools during nationwide lockdown.

Spain allowed work to resume at construction sites and factories, now Italy and Austria are allowing some retail businesses to restart, on a very limited scale. Food shops and pharmacies have remained open in the crisis. In Italy certain shops are reopening, after five weeks of lockdown: booksellers, stationery shops and sellers of baby clothes. Computer production and paper manufacturing are also allowed to restart. But the amount of activity depends on the region, and strict hygiene rules remain in force. Lombardy in the north – the epicentre of Italy’s crisis – is keeping shops shut. Italy’s death toll is now 20,465, the highest in Europe, but the infection rate has come down.

Austria was one of the first countries in Europe to follow Italy in imposing a strict lockdown. Now it is allowing garden centres, hardware and DIY stores and small shops to reopen. But people are still urged to stay at home and in shops the wearing of masks is mandatory.

Record rise in Covid-19 infections in Russia, officials say: 2,774 more in the past 24 hours, making 21,102 infections in total, and 170 people have died. Thirty-four members of the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre have tested positive.

In Serbia police arrested a care home manager in the city of Nis, after 140 residents got infected. The manager allegedly allowed visits by relatives, and residents to leave the home, violating the lockdown. The charges could result in a 12-year jail term.

50,000-year-old string found at Neanderthal site, a three-ply cord fragment made from bark was spotted on a stone tool recovered at a cave in France.

Two men have been charged with the murder of a Florida high school student, who was shot dead for three pairs of 'Yeezy'-style Adidas trainers.

Russian banker donates £1m to NHS hospital, donation will provide a support facility for staff at Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Californian police say six people have been shot and injured at a "large" party despite the "stay at home" order in place in the US state. The shooting took place at night at an apartment complex in Bakersfield. The victims - four women, one man and a girl - were treated for non-life threatening injuries. No arrests have been made but four men, seen fleeing in a car, are suspected of carrying out the attack.

The US death toll passes 2,000 in a single day.

Rise in US unemployment leads to long food bank queues.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented a diplomatic note to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw, urging Russia to return to Poland the wreckage of a presidential plane that crashed near Smolensk in 2010.

Scientists say the ozone hole above the Arctic is currently the largest it has ever been in 25 years.

US expels thousands of migrants using virus order, administration is using an emergency public health order to turn back irregular migrants.

Several MPs in Botswana have been caught breaking their self-isolation instructions and have now been placed in supervised quarantine.

New York digging mass graves amid virus outbreak, drone footage shows coffins stacked in a pit in the city, as the state logs more cases than any country.

Food aid for Houthi-controlled Yemen to be halved, the World Food Programme feeds more than 12 million Yemenis a month, 80% in Houthi-controlled areas.

Endangered clouded leopard kittens born at US zoo.

Canada lost a record one million jobs in March, the country's unemployment rate rose to 7.8% as non-essential business closed due to the coronavirus.

Chad says it has killed 1,000 jihadists in an operation in the Lake Chad area against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Two migrant boats intercepted in English Channel, there were 29 people on board.

Ugandan officials arrested for 'food aid corruption'.

Burundi has released 2,261 people who were quarantined in facilities around the country for observation.

Iran appeals for loan as virus deaths near 4,000, President Rouhani warns IMF against “discrimination”, amid reports of US opposition to request.

The chief of staff to the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo was arrested in the capital, Kinshasa, after hours of questioning into the alleged misappropriation of funds.

The US records the highest Covid-19 deaths in a single day, more than 1,800 deaths.

Syrian air force behind chemical attacks, the chemical weapons watchdog says Sarin and chlorine were used to attack Latamina in March 2017.

Ten police officers in Uganda have been charged for allegedly torturing a group pf women while enforcing a lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. The officers were accused of caning 38 women and forcing them to swim in mud in the northern town of Elegu.

DR Congo frees 1,200 prisoners over virus fears.

Ecuador ex-president Correa jailed in absentia, now living in Belgium, was sentenced with 19 others for taking bribes.

Two members of Kazakhstan's political elite have won a High Court challenge against Unexplained Wealth Orders. The orders centred on three multimillion-pound London homes worth more than £80m and owned by the daughter and grandson of the former Kazakh president. After winning the court challenge, the pair said they felt "vindicated". The National Crime Agency - which obtained the orders to seize their homes last May - said it will appeal.

UK farmers are looking for work power, because people from Europe that used to work can't come now and the season is open.

299 reports of violations of quarantine rules were received per day, as many as 80 people were fined in Lithuania.

Approaching an agreement on EUR 410 billion, the countries of the European Union are approaching an agreement on an economic rescue plan to help the bloc members most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cats can become infected with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and other cats and ferrets. And dogs don't. Such conclusions were made by scientists working at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute (China), who also stated that chickens, pigs and ducks cannot be infected with this virus.

Forests are burning around the Chernobyl power plant - the radiation level has jumped 16 times, and an arsonist has been caught.

Ugandan police have said there is a rise in domestic violence cases since the country began a two-week lockdown.

India agrees to release unproven 'corona drug', hydroxychloroquine, hours after the US president spoke of "retaliation".

Militants kill 20 Malian soldiers in army base attack.

For the first time since January, China on 7th April reports no coronavirus-related deaths.

Moroccans who venture outside their homes without wearing face masks risk prison sentences of up to three months and a fine of up to 1,300 dirhams ($126; £102), the government has said.

While many countries have imposed major restrictions, life continues as normal in Turkmenistan.

Covid brings tears and spilt milk to Canadian dairy, a dairy farmer's association has instructed farmers to dump milk over fear of a price crash.

Police in Cameroon say Islamist militants have killed seven people in a suicide attack on a village bordering Nigeria.

Tiger at US zoo tests positive for coronavirus, the Bronx Zoo in New York says this case of human-to-animal transmission appears to be unique.

Sweden is opening a field hospital at a trade-fair complex in Stockholm, with capacity for 600 patients, 401 people have died from coronavirus and there are 6,830 current cases.

Prominent Nigerian actress Funke Akindele has been arrested in the country's commercial capital, Lagos, for violating the government’s measures intended to slow the spread of coronavirus.

'Superstorm' Harold hits Vanuatu after killing 27, Vanuatu is already in a state of emergency because of the virus - and is awaiting election results.

Singapore quarantines 20,000 migrant workers, the workers will be paid - but some have complained of overcrowded and dirty conditions.

Pope marks Holy Week in near-empty basilica.

Second Greek migrant camp quarantined over virus.

Five shot dead in Russia for 'talking loudly', police say the shooter opened fire on a group of people gathered outside his house.

Outrage at rape of Somali girls aged three and four, the two cousins were abducted as they walked home from school and now need major surgery.

Malawi president takes 10% coronavirus pay cut.

Australia launches criminal probe into cruise ship, passengers from the Ruby Princess disembarked in Sydney without knowing the coronavirus was on board.

China holds three-minute silence for virus victims.

As Russian cities go into lockdown to try to contain coronavirus, Moscow uses the latest technology to keep track of residents.

More than 17,000 people have been arrested during the first week of the coronavirus lockdown in South Africa for defying the restrictions imposed.

Google will publish data on the whereabouts of users around the world to help governments assess the effectiveness of the social distance measures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on consumer movement in 131 countries will be available on a dedicated website and will “visualize movement trends over time and by geographic location,” the technology giant posted on one of its blogs.

The captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt, a U.S. aircraft carrier, informed the Pentagon that an outbreak of a coronavirus was spreading uncontrollably among the ship's crew and asked for urgent assistance to quarantine thousands of its sailors. Capt Brett Crozier had pleaded for quarantine to prevent deaths aboard a US aircraft carrier.

The Persians tried to consider each issue twice, once drunk and sober.

Five Rwandan soldiers have been arrested after residents of a slum in the capital, Kigali, alleged that they raped women as they enforced a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Two million years ago, Africa was home to three human-like species, new discoveries reveal.

Confirmed global coronavirus cases pass a million.

More than 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment in a week as the coronavirus spreads.

Amazon land activist shot dead in Brazil, Zezico Guajajara is the latest activist to be killed in a campaign to protect Brazil's indigenous land.

Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic broke EU law by rejecting refugees, the top EU court said.

The US sends warships to Caribbean to stop drugs.

Chinese cities ban the eating of cats and dogs, the ruling is a tougher version of China's ban on wildlife meat, after it was linked to the virus.

Scientists begin tests on two possible vaccines, the Covid-19 vaccine candidates will be tested on ferrets over three months in Australia.

Officials are debating their advice on face masks as a CDC memo says simple cloth masks would help.

Nigeria has begun handing out four months’ worth of welfare payments upfront in three areas of the oil-rich country that have been placed into lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Covid-19: Algeria frees thousands of prisoners.

World players' union Fifpro says it is "frankly not comprehensible" that professional football continues in Belarus amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Man, 93, becomes oldest Indian to beat coronavirus.

A group of wealthy creditor countries known as the Paris Club has agreed to cancel $1.4bn (£1.1bn) of debt owed by Somalia.

An online buyer has won an opportunity to launch a commercial rocket for 40 million yuan ($5.6m; £4.5m) in central China. Buyers were told that they could paint the body of the rocket and the launch platform, and that they could visit the launch site and control the launch.

A 12-year-old died of coronavirus in Belgium.

Countries and populations are starting to build up food supplies, threatening global trade.

Sierra Leone overturns ban on pregnant schoolgirls, the ban was introduced in 2015 as schools reopened after the Ebola crisis.

Zimbabwe doctors refuse to work without protective kit.

Singapore court upholds gay sex ban, a judge rejects three appeals, saying the law “remains important in reflecting public sentiment”.

Hundreds of thousands have left cities as India went into lockdown to stop coronavirus outbreak.

Countries reject Chinese-made equipment, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey have all said some Chinese-made equipment is substandard.

Colombia's ELN rebels call a ceasefire over the virus, the ELN rebel group said it would lay down arms from 1 April for a month as a "humanitarian gesture".

Sales of fresh fish in Kenya have risen as imports from China have dropped amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A homemade bomb killed three soldiers in north-west Burkina Faso.

Trump says Harry and Meghan must pay for security, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly moved from Canada to the US amid the virus outbreak.

A suicide bomber has seriously wounded a senior official in the autonomous Somali region of Puntland.

The authorities in the South African city of Durban have freed 14 workers who had been "locked up in a [mask-making] factory for a 40h.

Healthy people on a cruise liner lying off Panama are being moved to another ship after four died.

While swathes of Europe are under lockdown, Sweden is allowing life to go on much as normal.

US President Donald Trump has signed the largest economic recovery plan in the country's history, providing $ 2 trillion ($ 1.84 trillion) for Americans affected by the coronavirus crisis, hospitals and business.

It has been officially confirmed that a person diagnosed with COVID-19 in Iceland suffers from two strains of the same virus at the same time. The second strain is the mutation of the original virus. This case is believed to be the first in history.

A group of hackers who have created Maze, a computer-encrypting ransom-demanding tool, have been used again: data stolen, some distributed online, ransom for other data demanded. This time the victim was a British vaccine company, Hammersmith Medicines Research, ready to conduct any study on COVID-19 vaccines.

Wuhan partly reopens after coronavirus lockdown, people enter the Chinese city where the coronavirus outbreak began for the first time in months.

Russia sees no epidemic but starts shutdown.

Tesla gives New York hundreds of ventilators, New York has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the US and a shortage of ventilators.

Brexit: EU-UK meeting to go ahead via video link, the government insists the coronavirus crisis will not slow its timetable for reaching a trade deal. UK prime minister B. Johnson tested positive for Coronavirus and is working from home.

Chad has imposed a state of emergency in parts of the west of the country, following an attack by Islamist militants Boko Haram which killed more than 90 soldiers.

A leading Somali campaigner against khat says a temporary ban on trade in the stimulant leaf has saved consumers in the capital, Mogadishu, more than $3m (£2.5m) in little more than a week. Restrictions to be made permanent, describing the widespread use of khat by Somali men as a national catastrophe. Somalia imports tonnes of khat each day, much of it from Kenya. Its use is illegal in many parts of the world.

India 'super spreader' quarantines 40,000 people. A religious preacher in the northern state of Punjab who died of Covid-19 may have infected hundreds.

Quarantined woman 'kills herself' in Kenya.

India announces $22bn virus bailout for the poor.

The US now has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other country, with more than 85,500 positive tests. The US has overtaken China (81,782 cases) and Italy (80,589).

US charges Venezuelan leader with 'narco-terrorism', it also offers a $15m (£12.5m) reward for information leading to Nicolás Maduro's arrest.

Smuggled pangolins were carrying viruses closely related to the one sweeping the world, say scientists.

Norway extradites jihadist preacher to Italy.

The number of people in the US seeking jobless benefits jumped to nearly 3.3 million last week.

Somalia is finally back in the global financial fold after the World Bank and International Monetary Fund said the government had taken the necessary steps to be eligible for billions of US dollars in debt relief. The announcement is expected to see the country's debt reduced from $5.2bn (£4.3bn) to just a tenth of that over the next three years.

UK government and other countries using armed forces around the world to help efforts to tackle coronavirus. UK prime ministers speech: Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won't be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses. To put it simply, if too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it - meaning more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well. So it's vital to slow the spread of the disease. And that's why we have been asking people to stay at home during this pandemic. That is why people will only be allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes: Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible. One form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household; Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person; and Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home. That's all - these are the only reasons you should leave your home. You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say no. You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home.

There is a cow on the island of Poland that attacks anyone who just comes close to it. Sounds incredible and even comical, but such a cow does exist, and the story of her encounter on this island is even more interesting - she got there while fleeing the slaughterhouse.

India's 1.3bn people to enter 'total lockdown', the world's second most populous country announces major restrictions amid the coronavirus crisis.

German officials are trying to track down six million face masks ordered to protect health workers, which have gone missing from an airport in Kenya.

The car industry is pledging to help tackle a shortage of ventilators and masks as virus spreads.

Dozens of dead stowaways found in Mozambique, the authorities suspect the dead are migrants from Ethiopia and that they died of asphyxiation. At least 64 people, believed to be Ethiopians, are thought to have suffocated to death in a lorry that had crossed into Mozambique from Malawi.

Spain's coronavirus death toll jumps by 514 and is the worst hit European nation after Italy with 40,000 cases – 5,400 of them health workers.

US to cut $1bn in aid to Afghans over feud.

Spanish army finds care home residents 'abandoned', an inquiry is launched after soldiers discover elderly coronavirus victims "dead in their beds".

Thousands of people have gone missing in Ukraine since the conflict started in 2014.

The 2020 Olympic Games will be postponed by a year because of coronavirus, says the International Olympic Committee.

All football in Spain, including La Liga, is put on hold indefinitely while the country deals with the continued spread of coronavirus.

Islamist militants capture town in Mozambique.

Prince Edun Akenzua urges the Bristol Museum to consider returning one of the stolen Benin Bronzes.

Opposition activists in Guinea say at least 10 people have been killed in street clashes during Sunday's controversial referendum on a new constitution.

Earthquake rocks Croatia's capital, the 5.3-magnitude tremor sent chunks of buildings falling into the streets in Zagreb.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and his wife Anna have contributed one million euros (£923,900) to fight coronavirus.

Canadian scientists have discovered a fragment of an ancient continent, suggesting that it was 10% larger than previously thought. They were studying diamond samples from Baffin Island, a glacier-covered land mass near Greenland, when they noticed a remnant of North Atlantic Craton. Cratons are ancient, stable parts of the Earth's continental crust. The North Atlantic Craton stretched from present-day Scotland to North America and broke apart 150m years ago.

Mozambique has seized almost 20 tonnes of stolen frozen octopuses. The container was seized at the fishing port of Angoche in the northern province of Nampula. It is valued at more than 70,000 euros (about $76,000, £63,000).

UK Government to pay 80% of wages for employees not working, up to £2,500 a month.

US, Canada and Mexico restrict border traffic.

Many countries in the world are going into lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus, people are asked to stay indoors, go outside only for food and emergencies and non essential workers to stay at home.

The US space agency is suspending production and testing of its Moon rocket and capsule systems.

A Kenyan pastor who called the coronavirus pandemic a hoax and ridiculed hand washing as a means of preventing the virus has been suspended by his church.

Islamist militants have attacked a military post in the north of the country killing 29 soldiers and wounding five others.

US jails begin releasing prisoners amid pandemic, high profile inmates like ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen are among those who have asked for early release.

Australia and NZ ban non-residents from entry.

New Zealand passes law decriminalising abortion, parliament's vote to remove the procedure from the Crimes Act changes a law in force since 1977.

Italy virus deaths rise by record 475 in a day.

Passengers travel back to the UK from all over Europe on the last ferry from Roscoff for weeks.

Campaign group Human Rights Watch has criticised the Malian military and the UN for failing to prevent a massacre in a remote Fulani village which left at least 35 people dead.

Four Indian men convicted of the gang rape and murder of a student in Delhi in 2012 have been hanged, sentenced to death by a trial court in 2013. The four were hanged in the capital's high-security Tihar prison in the first executions in India since 2015. The victim died from her injuries days after being raped by six men on a moving bus. The incident caused outrage and led to new anti-rape laws in India. The 23-year-old physiotherapy student was dubbed Nirbhaya - the fearless one - by the press as she could not be named under Indian law. Six people were arrested for the attack. One of them, Ram Singh, was found dead in jail in March 2013, having apparently taken his own life. Another, who was 17 at the time of the attack, was released in 2015 after serving three years in a reform facility - the maximum term possible for a juvenile in India.

Coronavirus Cases: 189,758. Deaths: 7,518. Recovered: 80,874.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced a package of measures worth €200bn euros (£182bn), made up of loans, credit guarantees, benefits and direct aid, to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the economy.

Many countries close schools over coronavirus.

Doctors in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, have gone on an "indefinite strike" over delayed pay and unsafe working conditions.

South Africans have been told not to hand over money to people who say they are collecting banknotes contaminated by the coronavirus.

French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered people to stay at home and closed the country's land borders as well as all Europe Union closed borders to none european countries. He said the country was at war with an invisible, elusive enemy, and the measures were unprecedented, but circumstances demanded them.

Chad 'repaying $100m debt to Angola with cattle', the first batch of 74,000 animals, to be shipped over 10 years, has reportedly arrived in Luanda.

Coronavirus: US volunteers test first vaccine.

America's biggest airlines have called on Washington for more than $50bn (£41bn) in aid as they suffer the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. US President Donald Trump pledged to back the industry "100%".

Australian researchers identify four types of immune cells which present in response to Covid-19.

Soldiers kill 50 Islamist militants in Niger.

Chinese billionaire and co-founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, has pledged to donate 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 protective suits to each African country to help the fight against coronavirus.

Over half a dozen US governors have ordered restaurant closures and some have banned gatherings of more than 50 people.

Disarray hits US airports over virus screenings, travellers returning from Europe queue for hours as new health screening measures are introduced.

Spanish king 'passes baton' to son, King Juan Carlos of Spain announces his abdication after ruling the country for 39 years.

Countries take new measures against coronavirus: up to 10,000 people infected in the UK and more than 1,000 deaths in Italy.

Twitter and Facebook say they've suspended a small network of accounts linked to Russia, but based in Ghana and Nigeria, for attempting to sow discord. The social media firms said the profiles targeted American users by talking about social issues such as race and civil rights. Pages have also been removed from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. The company said more than 260,000 people followed one or more of the Instagram accounts. Facebook said the profiles didn't appear to focus on elections.

There's been an adoption between a lioness and a leopard cub. Sadly, the baby leopard was found dead after a month. Conservationists in the Gir National Park in India concluded that he died from a hernia that he’d been born with.

Mount Everest closes because of virus outbreak.

Trump travel ban met with confusion and criticism, EU leaders said President Trump's decision was made "unilaterally and without consultation".

EU to give migrants in Greece €2,000 to go home.

Iran, reported 75 new deaths linked to Covid-19, bringing the overall number to 429. At least 10,075 people have also been infected. Satellite photographs appear to show Iranian authorities have excavated two large trenches at a cemetery in the city of Qom to bury the rising number of people who have died as a result of the new coronavirus disease.

Kenya’s health ministry has said an investigation is underway into allegations that blood donated by Kenyans is being smuggled to Somalia.

India suspends visas to halt coronavirus spread.

A hospital in South Africa is investigating if a male nurse smuggled placentas out of the facility with a plan to sell them to traditional healers.

Clashes in South Africa close to the border with Mozambique prompted the authorities to shut a crossing point between the two countries.

The US has imposed sanctions on two senior Zimbabwean politicians over human rights abuses.

US and UK soldiers killed in rocket attack in Iraq, more than a dozen rockets hit a base near Baghdad, killing two Americans and one British soldier.

Harvey Weinstein jailed for 23 years in rape trial, the sentence finalises a dramatic fall from grace for one of Hollywood's most powerful figures.

A photo of Mohammad Zubair being beaten by a Hindu mob became the defining image of riots in Delhi.

A company in Benin harvests water hyacinths which can be used to soak up oil.

The chancellor warns that as many as 58 million Germans could become infected by coronavirus.

Zimbabwe has removed some restrictions on foreign currency trading, allowing for banks to take a greater role in setting exchange rates.

International volunteers in Ethiopia offering free medical treatment in the Amhara region have been attacked.

Sudan PM survives assassination attempt, an explosion hit Abdalla Hamdok's motorcade as he was on his way to work in the capital, Khartoum.

Fire burns thousands of Venezuela voting machines, a blaze razes the main warehouse holding machines used in elections in Venezuela.

Scientists say that trees in the Congo basin are absorbing less carbon dioxide (C02) than they were in the past.

The central bank of Russia has released a statement saying it will halt purchasing foreign currency for 30 days in an effort to "reduce the volatility of financial markets in the face of significant changes in the global oil market". The government may rely on its £114bn wealth fund to buy and prop up the price of the ruble, after the breakdown in talks with Opec triggered a price war.

Guinea president appoints first female brigadier general.

Malawi police arrest human rights activists.

Tesco sells its Asian stores in £8bn deal, the UK's largest retailer agrees to sell the 2,000 stores it operates in Thailand and Malaysia.

Uganda returns travellers refusing to self-quarantine, Uganda has told 22 foreigners who refused to self-quarantine on arrival for a business forum to return to their home countries.

India bank chief arrested for money laundering.

Clashes mar Women's Day march in Mexico City, dozens are injured as activists throw petrol bombs and police use tear gas during a women's protest.

Boko Haram militants have stormed an army base in south-eastern Niger, injuring a number of soldiers.

UK government thresholds for immigration after Brexit will harm Wales, Welsh Government says.

Avalanches in Austrian Alps kill at least six, five of the victims are believed to be Czechs on a walking trip, the sixth is a police officer.

Northern Italy quarantines 16 million people, a quarter of the population is in lockdown as Italy takes drastic action to control Covid-19.

Woman knits 1,000 teddies for African children, Josie Hind, 81, knits an average of 250 teddies a year which are sent to Livingstone in Zambia.

Australia win fifth T20 World Cup.

Air strike 'kills al-Shabab commander in Somalia'.

An inquiry into the death of the Democratic Republic of Congo's spy chief has found that he died by hanging.

Thousands of civil servants in Burkina Faso marched through the capital Ouagadougou on Saturday to protest against a new tax on their bonuses.

A migration debate has gripped a small Romanian town after the arrival of three Sri Lankan bakers.

Lebanon to default on debt payments for first time, PM says the country will not be making a bond payment of $1.2bn (£900m).

Russia has the first theme park in the country's history. At first glance, the entertainment complex in the country's capital, Moscow, resembles Disneyland, an American theme park.

A new study shows that the Earth was formed at an incredible speed - in the relative scale of the solar system - in just 1 minute and 30 seconds.

British company Equipmake became famous in 2018 when it introduced a low-cost monster electric motor capable of generating 9 kW per kilogram. By comparison, the company says the world's next best electric motor with permanent magnets only achieves 5 kW / kg. Well, Equipmake once again broke its own record.

Pope to deliver prayer by video amid virus threat.

China coronavirus quarantine hotel collapses.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says the UK will leave the European Aviation Safety Agency in December.

Trump signs $8.3bn emergency bill as cases rise, the president urged calm and said the virus would "go away" as infection cases rose to 233 - with 14 deaths.

The attack near the US embassy in Tunis was carried out by two people who approached a security checkpoint in the vicinity of the US embassy.

Ethiopia has launched a campaign to raise funds for the construction of a giant dam on the River Nile - the source of significant regional tension. People have been asked to use their mobile phones to send money for the $5bn (£3bn) project, but the has not said how much it hopes to raise.

Young chess players 'killed by laughing gas', a 27-year-old Ukrainian chess champion and his girlfriend aged 18 are found dead in a Moscow flat.

Rui Pinto is facing 90 criminal charges including computer fraud, more than 100 journalists and other public figures in Europe have called for the release of Rui Pinto, the source behind leaked documents which showed how Africa's richest woman made her fortune, from pre-trial detention.

France has granted permission to extradite François Compaoré - the brother of a former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré - who is wanted at home over the murder of a journalist in 1998.

For years the Nigerian army has hunted Abubakar Shekau, the elusive leader of Boko Haram, without success. So could the offer of a $7 million reward by the US State Department make the difference.

Drones used to study shrinking Andes glaciers, a Scottish researcher is mapping the glaciers which have shrunk by 30% in the last two decades.

Russia and Turkey agree ceasefire in Syria's Idlib.

Man jailed for licking ice cream in Texas shop, a social media video showed him licking ice cream and putting it back.

Dubai ruler abducted escaped daughters, Sheikh Mohammed told his estranged wife she would "never be safe in England", the High Court says.

The oldest Egyptian pyramid has officially reopened after many years of restoration work. The Djoser step pyramid in Saqqara dates back 4,700 years. It was built during the Third Dynasty of the Pharaohs. Work on its restoration began nearly 15 years ago.

California declares emergency over coronavirus.

Ivorian president rules out third-term bid.

Bat found asleep in Belgian timber shipment, the mammal has been identified as a Nathusius' pipistrelle which is rarely found in the UK.

Stolen crown returns to Ethiopian church, an 18th Century ceremonial crown that resurfaced in the Netherlands after being taken from a church more than 20 years ago has returned to the church it came from.

List of 12,000 Nazis probed for loot in Swiss bank, many of those on the list found in Argentina may have had cash stolen from Jewish victims.

US and Gabon unite against pirates.

The US has extended sanctions against Zimbabwe's top leaders citing their actions to "undermine democratic processes or institutions".

Afghan president rejects Taliban prisoner release, Ashraf Ghani says he has not pledged to free 5,000 militants, as stated in a key US-Taliban deal.

Warm winter ruins German ice wine harvest.

US confirms first coronavirus death.

Flights diverted as Storm Jorge strikes Ireland.

US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year Afghan war.

The first case of coronavirus in Lithuania. Germany quarantined 1,000 people.

Switzerland is canceling the Geneva Motor Show due to the coronavirus.

Coronavirus: Plague game banned in China, and has removed a popular game from the app store: infecting the world with a deadly virus.

Scientists have found a link between the number of sexual partners and the risk of cancer.

Hundreds of migrants in Turkey have flocked to border areas, heading for Europe following reports that Turkish authorities have "opened the gate". Drone footage shows a small group of migrants heading towards Turkey's borders with Greece and Bulgaria. After 33 Turkish troops have been killed in an air strike in the northwestern province of Idlib in Syria blamed on Damascus forces. Russia has sent two winged warships to the Mediterranean through the Bosphorus. Frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Grigorovich left the port of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula.

In the case of the Sports Arbitration Court (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, the ruling was heard by the scandalous Chinese swimmer Sun Yang. The athlete received a particularly severe penalty - three times the Olympic and 11 times the world champion disqualified for as much as eight years. 28 year old Chinese freestyle 200m and 400m. The 8-year sentence is due to the fact that a freestyle swimmer has already been punished for violating doping rules.

Earth has caught up with a new "mini satellite" reported by astronomers, the size of a passenger car, spotting a new object orbiting our planet.

Neutrons are elementary particles that interact very poorly with the rest of the material. There are countless of them crossing the Earth every second - about one hundred trillion passes through your body every second - but they have no noticeable effect on us. However, sometimes interactions occur, and large detectors help detect them: in the rare case that a neutrino collides with an atom, electrons or similar particles or photons that can be captured are emitted.

Stock markets across the globe are suffering their worst week since 2008 amid fears over Covid-19.

Nigeria confirms first coronavirus case.

Former Barclays bankers cleared of fraud charges, are found not guilty on all charges in under six hours.

Iran cancels prayers to limit coronavirus, it also places restrictions on access to major Shia Muslim shrines as the death toll rises to 34.

Ugandan seeks $1.6m from Museveni for Twitter block, a Ugandan court will on 20 May rule on a case in which a student has sued the president for blocking him on Twitter.

Two South Africans test positive for coronavirus.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to sign a peace deal with leaders of an armed militia that's been active in the north-east of the country for nearly 20 years.

BP worker sacked over Hitler parody wins job back, it is unreasonable to suggest he was comparing BP managers to Nazis, an Australian ruling finds.

Pro-democracy Hong Kong media mogul arrested, the 71-year-old multi-millionaire, a critic of the Hong Kong government, has now been charged.

The crisis forcing mothers to give away their babies, Venezuela's economic crisis is driving some mothers unable to feed their children to drastic measures.

The $20m Saudi Cup set for debut, a maximum field of 14 horses is set to contest Saturday's first running of the Saudi Cup - the world's richest race.

Fish is becoming one of the main bones of contention in negotiations between the EU and the UK.

Canada to stop paying Harry and Meghan's security, the government will cease providing security for the couple who are stepping down as senior royals.

Malawi legalises growing of cannabis.

Brazilian jailed in Mozambique for drug trafficking, a 24-year-old Brazilian woman has been sentenced to 17 years in prison in Mozambique for drug trafficking. She admitted during her trial at a court in the capital, Maputo, that she was recruited in Brazil to carry the drugs to sell in Mozambique in exchange for about $2,500 (£1,940).

China may deploy ducks to battle with locusts, the hungry ducks could be sent to eat the insects that are devouring crops in Pakistan.

Japan to close all schools to halt virus spread, the month-long closure will affect 13 million students.

The African Union (AU) says it plans to send 3,000 troops to the Sahel, where international and regional forces are struggling to contain Islamist militants.

Five dead in Milwaukee beer company shooting, the gunman dies from "self-inflicted wounds" during the shooting in the mid-western Wisconsin state.

Man jailed for paying to watch child sexual abuse.

Mexico returns smuggled bronze sculpture to Nigeria, the ancient artefact was seized by customs officers at the main airport in Mexico City.

Face-collecting company database hacked, many law-enforcement agencies in the US use Clearview AI facial-recognition technology.

Lorry kills two white rhinos in Zambian park.

Swiss town faces 10-year evacuation over arms dump, authorities say the World War Two weapons cache buried near Mitholz poses an "unacceptable" risk.

Mobile phones belonging to South Africa’s intelligence minister Ayanda Dlodlo and her deputy, Zizi Kodwa, have been cloned.

Nigerian soldier kills himself and four colleagues.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it has secured more than $330m (£255m) in debt relief for Somalia. This brings the country a crucial step closer to receiving forgiveness for its $5.3bn debt and accessing new resources.

Australia's wild summer sees a blast of snow in Tasmania adds a final chapter to Australia's summer of dramatic weather.

Apple will open its first Indian store in 2021, the iPhone maker lags behind competitors in the world's second largest mobile phone market.

'They removed my uterus and I had no idea for 11 years' one of 48 women forcibly sterilised at state hospitals in South Africa.

Teenager's remains found in Pakistan lion enclosure, relatives said he went missing while searching for grass to use as cattle fodder.

Canada proposed as site of captive whale sanctuary, a Nova Scotia cove is the proposed site for whales released from entertainment parks to retire.

Germany overturns ban on assisted suicide, five years ago a change in the law stopped doctors helping the terminally ill to end their lives.

Hong Kong to give cash gift of $1,200 to residents, officials hope it will boost spending as the city's economy struggles after a tumultuous year.

Algeria confirms first case of coronavirus.

In Italy, a fifth person died of coronavirus.

In Germany, a car drives into a carnival crowd, injuring dozens of people, intentionally directing the car at people.

“Utenos trikotažas” became the first company in the world to implement Greenpeace standards.

China attacked Estonia over its assessment of foreign intelligence, ostensibly reflecting "ignorance" and "Cold War mindsets."

On April 13, 2029, an icy rock larger than the height of the Eiffel Tower at 30 kilometers per second would fly near the Earth. It will orbit close to the sphere of the planet's geostationary satellites. It will be one of the largest asteroids flying so close to the Earth this decade.

Russia launches new Grad missile systems.

New rules for immigrants are being prepared in the UK - 70 points will be needed to get to live and work in UK.

Harvey Weinstein guilty over sexual assaults, the ex-movie mogul is handcuffed and led from court as a judge orders him sent to jail immediately.

Three killed in Delhi protest before Trump visit, clashes over a citizenship law broke out hours before a visit by US President Donald Trump.

Canada police move to clear rail blockade, rail blockades have paralysed parts of Canada's transport system and led to about 1,500 layoffs.

Prague denies renaming square to troll Moscow, politicians in Prague vote to rename a square by the Russian Embassy to honour a slain Putin critic.

Dozens of HIV-positive women in South Africa have been sterilised without their consent or were pressured to agree just before giving birth, an official inquiry has found.

Tanzania journalist freed after seven months, had been charged with money laundering, tax evasion and leading organised crime.

It is one of the world's greatest financial scandals. Billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB meant to help the Malaysian people went missing, disappearing into the shadows of the global financial system. Three units of Goldman Sachs have pleaded not guilty over its alleged role in the scandal.

Rowers complete Atlantic wooden boat crossing, Phil Pugh and Paul Hopkins, both from Tyneside, took 70 days to cross 3,000 miles of ocean.

Dead within three hours of arrival at a Russian prison, despite claims that Russian prisons are cleaning up their act, inmates and their families tell a different story.

Lasers and tear gas in Chile clash, protesters vow to continue the unrest in Santiago until changes are made to Chile's constitution.

Cristiano Ronaldo marks his 1,000th senior appearance by scoring in Juventus' Serie A game with SPAL.

The North Korean prisoner who escaped with her guard through a window, he has thought of everything. He has cut the wires to the surveillance cameras. He has volunteered for a longer night shift. He has even laid out shoes for her by the back door.

Bear in California neighbourhood, the elderly female was spotted roaming a residential area in Monrovia, west of Los Angeles.

US and Afghan Taliban start partial truce, if successful, the seven-day "reduction in violence" will lead to the signing of a peace deal.

Croatian singer sued for 'mocking' national anthem.

Former South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar has been sworn in as first vice-president, sealing a peace deal aimed at ending six years of civil war. President Salva Kiir witnessed the moment at a ceremony at the State House in the capital, Juba. It is hoped that the new unity government will bring an end to the conflict that has killed about 400,000 people and displaced millions.

Several thousands of Airbus employees have protested near eight production sites in Spain over plans by the European aircraft manufacturer to lay off 630 workers.

Bulldozers began to demolish crime-ridden derelict buildings on the outskirts of Naples, Italy. The dwelling array is known as an object visited by the local mafia.

In Ukraine, dozens of people clashed with police over plans by the government to quarantine people evacuated from a coronavirus-infested Chinese medical facility and attack bus of China evacuees.

Melia, a Spanish hotel group, was fined EUR 6.7 million by the European Commission (EC) for offering potential guests different bookings or prices, depending on their location in the European Union.

Melting eternal frost in Siberia releases nematodes from the ice. These are soil-borne microscopic worms that have stagnated in the permafrost since the Pleistocene (a Quaternary epoch that began 2,588 million years ago and ended 12,000 years ago), after frozen for tens of thousands of years, now successfully recovered two species of these worms.

The group of Indian government employees said they had to stand naked in a room together during 'examination for pregnancy' in work test.

Romanian lorry driver admitted trying to smuggle £1.7m-worth of cocaine into the UK has been jailed.

Google sued over claims it spies on US students, pupils in New Mexico allegedly have had their online data tracked.

Portugal MPs in move to legalise euthanasia.

South Korea virus 'emergency' as cases increase, two cities are declared "special care zones", as 100 new cases and a second death are confirmed.

France says its soldiers killed 50 militants in Mali.

Seven more people charged over Essex lorry deaths, the Vietnamese nationals are accused of helping others to "flee abroad or stay abroad illegally".

A state in Nigeria plans to spend $26m in a campaign to end open defecation. Nigeria was last year ranked by a United Nations agency as second among countries practising open defecation globally. Around 47 million people there still defecate in the open.

People in Uganda's northern district of Kitgum are eating desert locusts that have devoured their crops.

The 28-year-old clocked one hour, four minutes and 31 seconds in the Ras-Al-Khaimah marathon in the United Arab Emirates, shaving 20 off the previous record set by Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei 18 months ago.

Coronavirus outbreak to cost airlines almost $30bn.

Some 3,000 camels exported from Australia to Libya have been evacuated from the port of Tripoli after it was hit by rocket fire.

A dashcam captures the moment a meteor illuminates the night sky in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

A Kenyan policeman who was to be questioned over an alleged forged deal worth $395m (£306m) for military equipment was found dead in his house in the capital, Nairobi.

Cyber-attack hits US Department of Defence agency, the personal data of about 200,000 people is exposed in a cyber-attack.

Workers found trapped in illegal tobacco factory, twelve British nationals suspected of running the underground factory in Spain were arrested.

UK says Russia behind massive Georgia cyber-attack.

Human brain seized in mail truck check, the item was in a mail package sent from Canada and labelled "Antique Teaching Specimen".

A high-profile businessman in Mozambique has been abducted in the second such case in a fortnight.

Lesotho PM to be charged with murdering his wife.

Namibia became the first African country to export red meat to the US. Namibia is expected to export 860 tonnes of beef in 2020. "Namibia will benefit economically from tapping into the largest consumer market with purchasing power of $13 trillion, and US consumers will benefit from access to Namibia’s high-quality, free-range, grass-fed beef."

A UN human rights investigation has accused the government of South Sudan and other armed groups of deliberately starving civilians.

Ethiopian 18th Century crown returns home, former refugee Sirak Asfaw found it in a suitcase and has protected the crown for the past 21 years. The Ethiopian government has received an 18th Century crown that had been stolen then hidden in a flat in the Netherlands for 21 years.

Rwanda and Uganda have swapped prisoners as the presidents of both nations prepare to meet to resolve a diplomatic row that has led to the closure of their shared border. Some 20 Ugandan nationals detained in Rwanda were released on Wednesday, a day after Uganda released 13 Rwandan nationals it had detained on charges of espionage and other security-related offences.

South Africa's middle-classes give away 35% of their monthly income to help others.

Nigeria's Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum said the country needs an extra 100,000 soldiers, adding that half of that number should be recruited from his state, to defeat Boko Haram.

HSBC, the largest bank in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe-wide, has announced radical restructuring plans that will result in the loss of 35,000 employees.

Amazon CEO set up a $ 10 billion fund to combat climate change.

China will cancel duties on medical equipment from the US due to coronavirus.

Lithuanian diplomats handed a note to Russia over paraffin found in the Curonian Spit at the end of January.

SpaceX has hired a former top NASA manager - the best human spaceflight specialist to help fulfill the historic mission.

A team of researchers at Imperial College London has begun animal testing of a vaccine against the new coronavirus epidemic.

Google and Tinder, the online dating system, are threatened with fines of up to 4 percent of their annual profits for unauthorized use of users personal data.

US officials say they have evidence that Chinese company Huawei has "back door access" to its mobile network infrastructure equipment, which is distributed worldwide.

India's bird population going down sharply, the greatest decline has been in the numbers of eagles, vultures, warblers and migrating shorebirds.

A "ghost" cargo ship has washed up off the coast of County Cork, Ireland, brought in by the bad weather that lashed Europe in Storm Dennis. The abandoned boat was spotted on the rocks of fishing village Ballycotton by a passerby. The vessel appears to have drifted thousands of miles over more than a year, from the south-east of Bermuda in 2018, across the Atlantic Ocean.

The EU aims to enforce a UN arms embargo but remains concerned about migrant boats from Libya.

At least 20 killed in Niger aid stampede, a Nigerian soldier stands guard near information stands in a camp for internally displaced people in Diffa, Niger, ten others were injured as people queued for food and money in the southern town of Diffa.

A total of 18 people suspected to be linked to a spate of gas attacks in Zambia were killed at the weekend by mob justice.

Thousands celebrate Japan's 'naked festival', Japanese men brave the cold in loin cloths for a festival marking the start of spring.

Rwandan gospel singer found dead in police cell, the singer was arrested near the border with Burundi and accused of attempting to flee the country.

German firms told to pay man $265m over weedkiller, Bayer and BASF are told to pay huge damages to a Missouri peach-grower.

Senegal and US sign road, power and health deals, on a visit to Senegal, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has overseen the signing of several private sector deals with American firms. The road building, power and healthcare projects were announced at a time when China and Russia are deepening their political and economic ties across the African continent. Senegal and Mauritania, 1,600 troops from various African countries are due to take part in an American-led military training exercise focusing on countering Islamist extremist groups. The US has indicated it intends to scale back its troop presence in Africa.

Four African countries - the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ghana and Zambia - have licensed and can now distribute an Ebola vaccine, which the World Heath Organization (WHO) has hailed as a "milestone".

India's Supreme Court has ruled that all women officers will now be eligible for permanent commissions.

The value of cross-border trade in Ireland reached £6.5bn in 2018.

Stage collapse as Pakistani music festival stormed, women say they were harassed in the chaos after holders of fake tickets broke through barricades.

Japan' economy shrunk at the fastest rate in five years at the end of 2019 as it was impacted by a sales tax rise, a major typhoon and growing disruption from the Coronavirus.

At least 22 killed in attack on Cameroon village, no-one has claimed responsibility for the incident, but an opposition party blamed the army.

Hong Kong gang steals hundreds of toilet rolls, toilet rolls have become hot property in the city due to a shortage from coronavirus panic-buying.

German far-right group 'planned mosque attacks', twelve men arrested on Friday were allegedly plotting to attack mosques, politicians and immigrants.

Sudan allows former foe Israel to fly over its territory.

Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei breaks the 5km road world record by 27 seconds in Monaco.

Costa Rica makes biggest ever cocaine haul, police found more than five tonnes of the illegal dug hidden in a shipment of flowers.

First coronavirus death confirmed in Europe.

Spate of violence leaves at least 40 dead in Mali, the west African country has been blighted by ethnic and Islamist violence in recent years.

Saudi warplane crashes in Yemen, Houthi rebels say they shot down the plane, while Saudi Arabia says only that it "fell".

Russian man who released Macron ally sex video arrested, a Russian protest artist is held after Benjamin Griveaux is forced to ditch his Paris mayoral bid.

Using Australian coal in UK 'needs to stop', Extinction Rebellion says it is "madness" to ship coal from one side of the world to the other.

20-year-old Swede Armand Duplantis break the pole vault world record after clearing 6.18m at the Athletics Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow.

Australian MPs cancel UK trip amid Huawei leak row.

Russia biathlete Evgeny Ustyugov is stripped of the relay gold medal he won at the 2014 Sochi Olympics after being found guilty of doping by the International Biathlon Union.

Fifteen children killed in Haiti orphanage fire.

Recent studies show that the new coronavirus can infect as much as 60 percent of the Earth's population and kill about 50 million people.

Huawei has filed lawsuits for patent infringement with US mobile operator Verizon. The company seeks compensation for the unauthorized use of technology protected in twelve states by patents registered with Huawei in the United States.

Researchers at Hong Kong City University have developed a unique generator - 140 volts per drop of water - that could help turn water drop energy into electricity.

Lithuanian and German scientists working together to create tandem solar cells have set a new record for efficiency - their solar cell converts 29.15 percent of the incident light into electricity. (Today, the efficiency of single crystalline silicon cells in the market is only 20%).

Scientists discover 'ghost' human ancestor in Africa, a mysterious "ghost population" of ancient humans lived in West Africa about 500,000 years ago, scientists believe, whose genes are thought to live on in people today. Researchers say DNA from this group makes up between 2% and 19% of modern West Africans' genetic ancestry.

Kenya's Interior Minister has ordered the deportation of four Chinese nationals who were taken to court after video footage circulated purportedly showing one of them caning a worker.

The Ugandan government has said it's too costly to charter a plane to bring home an estimated 105 students stranded in the virus-hit city of Wuhan, in China, but is to send them some financial assistance.

Google ordered to reveal dentist's bad reviewer, the Australian court ruling forces the US firm to hand over details about the anonymous poster.

Groom beaten after secret wife turns up at wedding, a banquet descends into violence in Pakistan after the groom is revealed to have two other wives.

More than 800,000 people - 60% of them children - have fled their homes in north-western Syria since December as a result of an assault by Syrian pro-government forces on the opposition’s last stronghold.

French farmers march to free man who shot teenager, farmer opened fire on a group of suspected thieves, seriously wounding one.

Police are investigating a spate of letter-bomb attacks on companies across the Netherlands.

About 8,000 people have fled from Cameroon into Nigeria in the past two weeks because of an upsurge in violence.

Medics in Wuhan resort to shaving their heads in a bid to prevent cross-infection of the coronavirus.

Sudan to pay compensation over USS Cole attack, two al-Qaeda bombers who had been trained in Sudan attacked the ship in 2000 killing 17 US sailors.

Namibia's first lady has promised to donate all her wealth to charity when she dies, Monica Geingos' wealth is estimated is to be $3m (£2.3m), which she plans to leave to her One Economy Foundation.

Saudi-led forces face trials over Yemen violations, it is the first time the coalition has taken action against military personnel involved in the war.

A key witness in the murder case against Lesotho's first lady has fled to neighbouring South Africa because she fears for her life, and is seeking refugee status.

Ethiopia's parliament has passed a controversial law aimed at curbing hate speech and disinformation on mainstream and social media.

People in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, have been protesting against fuel and bread shortages. Anger about this same issue back in December 2018 is what sparked mass anti-government protests that led to the downfall of President Omar al-Bashir.

Parties ordered to explain 'criminal candidates', India's top court said the "alarming rise" of "criminal candidates" had to be addressed urgently.

The European Union has described as "astonishing" the extent of vote-rigging in last October's elections in Mozambique.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has extended by three months the designation of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a global health emergency.

'They killed my puppy because I am a woman', woman teaches sport to young girls in Afghanistan, was attacked while walking the dog.

Ninth coronavirus case found in UK, a woman who flew into London from China is being treated at a hospital in central London.

US student's dad charged over 'college sex cult', father is accused of moving into his daughter's dormitory and exploiting her roommates.

MEPs call on the UK to follow EU policies in many areas in return for an ambitious free trade deal.

Forces loyal to Libya's renegade General Khalifa Haftar have blocked UN flights from operating to and from Libya, curtailing humanitarian and peace efforts.

Russia ex-prison official kills himself in court, former prison service transport boss Viktor Sviridov had just been jailed for extortion.

Jussie Smollett drama, the actor was accused of staging a racist and homophobic attack, and is now charged with six counts of lying to police.

Deforested Amazon areas 'net emitters of CO2'.

India man shot dead 'by daughter's rapist', it's the third time in recent months a rape victim or her family have been attacked by the accused.

The transitional authorities in Sudan say that they are ready to hand over former President Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. He was ousted last year by a popular uprising after ruling with an iron fist for 30 years. Mr al-Bashir is currently in jail on corruption charges but he is wanted, with four other suspects, by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to mass killings in the western province of Darfur. For more than 10 years he defied arrest warrants issued by the ICC.

About 300 employees of Singapore's largest bank have been evacuated after an employee was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus.

Ethnic clashes between villagers taking place in the southern region of Kazakhstan: groups of men set fire to houses, cars, and hundreds of people fled to neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Over 10 people were killed.

Chinese army officers charged in huge Equifax hack, nearly 150 million Americans had personal data compromised in the hack of a credit rating giant.

At least 14 dead as Rohingya boat sinks, the boat was reportedly destined for Malaysia and included Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.

Rains set to put out all NSW fires by week's end, only four blazes remain "uncontained" in the state's worst-affected in Australia's bushfire crisis.

Iran raids on US base injured 109, Admits Pentagon.

Mauritania denies banning use of French in parliament, amid a broader debate about language policy.

French court fines flamboyant Equatorial Guinea VP, Teodorin Obiang, the president's son, was found guilty of using public money for personal gain.

Militants burn to death motorists as they sleep, at least 30 are killed in a night-time raid on a small town in Nigeria's north-east.

Coronavirus kills 97 in deadliest day so far, over 1000 dead total.

Russia jails members of the 'non-existent' terror gang, anarchists and anti-fascist activists are jailed on what rights groups say are fabricated charges.

Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a wealthy businessman in the city of Chimoio in central Mozambique.

Bangladesh secure their first U19 World Cup title after India lose seven wickets for just 21 runs in the final in South Africa.

Free fizzy drinks and bread for mourners at Moi's burial, Kenyan government will provide snacks for first 30,000 people who will arrive at former president Daniel arap Moi's burial.

El Salvador army's show of force in parliament, police and soldiers entered parliament after lawmakers failed to approve a loan for better equipment.

Storm Ciara batters north-western Europe, powerful winds cause dramatic scenes as flights are canceled and homes are left without power.

Zimbabwe to arrest traders transacting in US dollars, Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has warned traders who will continue to demand payment in US dollars will face prosecution.

A soldier has been killed in a suicide car bombing that targeted a military barracks in southern Algeria.

Locust swarms have been spotted in northern Tanzania after months of wreaking havoc on crops across other East African countries.

The UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told African leaders that it's time to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Cameroon polls close amid boycott and violence.

Man was on a safari with friends in the Indonesian region of Borneo and was preparing himself for a trip full of surprises. Yet, they would probably never imagine they would capture an amazing moment in which an orangutan stretched out his hand to help out a snake-infested water.

Thousands on cruise free to go after virus tests, some 3,600 people can finally disembark in Hong Kong after tests for coronavirus return negative.

BBC Africa Eye uncovers evidence that torture is being used by Nigerian police and armed forces.

Fourth patient in UK diagnosed with coronavirus, the fourth case came as the UK’s final rescue flight arrived in Oxfordshire.

Thai gun rampage soldier shot dead, soldier who killed 26 is shot dead after being cornered all night in a shopping center.

Lightning strike kills rare mountain gorillas, the four killed by suspected electrocution include a pregnant female.

After the Baltic Sea pollution survey, the results are shocking: some pollutants exceed the norm by up to 170 times.

A Duma deputy, a multimillionaire, was killed in a helicopter crash in Russia.

US President D Trump has fired two senior state officials who testified in his indictment, prompting speeches that he has taken revenge. He recalled the US Ambassador to the European Union and fired a Lieutenant Colonel on the National Security Council. The Senate, with Republicans in the majority, acquitted the president of abuse of power.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order for lump sum payments to certain groups of citizens on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of World War II, including eligible Russian citizens permanently residing in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The French Competition, Consumer Protection and Anti-Fraud Office (DGCCRF) has announced that Apple has agreed to pay a $ 21 to 25 million fine for not informing iPhone users that phone software updates could slow down older phones.

Eleven ruby miners have died in northern Mozambique over three days at an illegally dug mine.

Syrian army enters key Idlib town Saraqeb.

Sierra Leone has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. A 2017 government report estimated 1,165 deaths per 100,000 live births in the country, largely due to preventable reasons. Bleeding, pregnancy-induced hypertension, infections, and unsafe abortions were the most common causes for women. However, a new drone initiative in the country could be about to change things.

Former world record holder and Olympic gold medallist Roland Schoeman has been given a one-year ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

‘Bat tornado’ invades Australian town, hundreds of thousands of bats have invaded Ingham and residents are fed up.

Rwanda minister resigns after assaulting female guard.

Equatorial Guinea's president has announced that the oil-rich country is to donate $2m (£1.5m) to aid its "sister nation" China as it battles the coronavirus outbreak that has so far killed 636 people. China boasts the world's second-biggest economy after the US, and its GDP of $13.6tr dwarfs Equatorial Guinea's $13.4bn.

Efforts are being made in Zimbabwe to bring trapped illegal miners to the surface, after a shaft collapsed at a gold mine killing at least two other miners.

Nasa astronaut Christina Koch completed the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

Turkey avalanche rescue operation put on hold, two avalanches kill 39 people, most of them rescuers who came to help after the first incident.

A Nigerian judge has again adjourned the case against 47 Nigerian men accused of “public displays of same-sex affection” after the lead witness for the prosecution failed to appear in court.

Man held after girl, 5, raped in US embassy, the attack took place on embassy grounds in the Indian capital, Delhi.

Nigeria's rapidly rising nightlife and alcoholic industry.

Baby, aged 30 hours, diagnosed with coronavirus, the baby in Wuhan may have contracted the virus in the womb, or immediately after birth.

China halves tariffs on more than 1,700 US goods, markets react positively as China takes its first step to ease tensions over the trade war with the US.

Rain and flash floods have hit some drought-affected regions of eastern Australia.

Police in Ethiopia shot dead two people in the capital, Addis Ababa, during clashes over the construction of a church. Several others were injured.

A town in Finland is offering free gym sessions to everyone over the age of 65.

Uber issued a permit to test self-driving cars again.

Russian police convicted of busting own drug den, the two policemen apparently set up the dens to boost their crime-fighting statistics.

Hundreds of participants from 44 countries around the world are in Rwanda for a conference that showcases the potential uses for drone technology.

At least seven people are reported to have been killed by suspected Islamists in northern Mozambique.

Coronavirus: Uganda quarantines over 100 people.

The advice of a Ukrainian parliamentarian to a pensioner has frustrated the country: sell a dog to pay for heating.

Flash flooding leaves tourists stranded in NZ.

The wife of Lesotho's prime minister is to be charged with murdering her husband's previous wife.

Uzbekistan is to remove gender stereotypes from its school books in cooperation with the UN.

The Nigeria Customs Service say $8m (£6m), wrapped in large brown envelopes, were found hidden inside a car at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the commercial capital Lagos. The cash was allegedly being smuggled out of the country by a "money laundering syndicate assisting corrupt government officials". Two drivers working for a company at the airport, who are alleged to have been caught moving the cash into the airport, have been arrested.

Nine people shot dead in Mexico amusement arcade, at least four of the victims are children who were in the arcade when the gunmen opened fire.

In Somalia say at least 20 people have been killed in clan fighting in the southern Lower Juba region.

Iran sentences man to death for spying for the CIA.

AirAsia tycoon steps aside amid bribery probe, AirAsia has been pulled into investigations which have seen planemaker Airbus fined a record €3.6bn.

The United States has agreed to repatriate over $300m worth of assets to Nigeria. According to the US department of justice, the property was stolen by former Nigerian military leader, Sani Abacha and was forfeited following a 2014 complaint.

China admits 'shortcomings' in virus response, also orders a crackdown on illegal wildlife markets, where the virus reportedly emerged.

Kenya school stampede kills at least 14 pupils, the cause of the stampede at Kakamega Primary School in western Kenya is not yet clear.

Denmark holds 'pro-Saudi Iranian opposition spies', three members of an Iranian Arab opposition group are accused of spying for Saudi Arabia.

Disabled boy dies in China after his father quarantined, two officials are sacked after a boy whose father was quarantined for suspected coronavirus dies.

Uber blocks drivers who picked up coronavirus man, two Uber drivers transported a passenger infected with coronavirus around Mexico City.

China accuses US of spreading coronavirus 'panic'.

Turkish reinforcements head to Syria's Idlib, heavy guns to an area where its soldiers came under attack.

Landslides and heavy rain kill 13 in Rwanda.

Second Mexico butterfly activist found dead.

After 47 years UK's EU membership ends.

Shipments from China, because of coronavirus, are also warned by the Chinese themselves: businessmen are also worried.

Israel bans flights from China due to coronavirus outbreak.

The United Nations Health Agency declared an outbreak of a new coronavirus in China as an international public health emergency.

Bouvardia ternifolia - A widespread shrub in Mexico, Honduras and the southern United States. The molecule isolated from these plants can help control head and neck cancers.

SpaceX has made an amazingly successful final attempt with the Crew Dragon - a Falcon 9 rocket explosion, a fast Crew Dragon escape, and an elegant landing.

A Finnish miracle - Last year, no pedestrian died in Helsinki: a unique case that has never existed in more than 100 years.

German police said experts had successfully neutralized seven World War II bombs found on a land plot near Berlin, where Tesla's new car factory would be located in the near future.

A prominent former politician accused of attempting to bribe the head of Nigeria's anti-corruption body has been released on bail after four weeks in custody.

Britons on evacuation flight home from Wuhan, eighty-three UK citizens and 27 foreign nationals are heading to RAF Brize Norton.

Four journalists in Burundi, have been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail each after a court found them guilty of threatening the security of the state. They were also fined one million Burundi francs ($530; £405) each.

Egyptian archaeologists unveil 3,000-year-old tombs.

Kenya's national carrier has suspended all flights to and from China because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The United Nations says foreigners are continuing to meddle in Libya's civil war, in violation of commitments made at an international conference earlier.

Kenya’s High Court has halted the implementation of a new biometric registration system until data protection laws are enacted.

Six indigenous people 'massacred' in Nicaragua, the Mayagna group has been involved in disputes with settlers searching for land and resources.

Confirmed coronavirus cases in all China regions, the death toll now stands at 170.

Syria's Idlib 'hit by 200 strikes in three days', US special envoy says the air raids were carried out by the Syrian government and its ally Russia.

US officials say they have discovered the longest smuggling tunnel ever found on the border with Mexico. The tunnel had rail track, drainage and air ventilation systems, and stretched for 4,309ft (1,313m).

Greek plan to stop migrants with floating barriers, a netted installation with flashing lights is planned for the Aegean Sea between Lesbos and Turkey.

Police in Nigeria's northern city of Kano say they are investigating the circumstances that led to the self-immolation of a 28-year-old housewife.

US-Israeli woman freed from Russian prison, she was arrested in Moscow after nine grams of marijuana was found in her luggage.

Mali to 'recruit 10,000 more soldiers'.

The Zimbabwean government and civil servants have agreed on a pay rise deal. The lowest-paid worker will now be paid 2,500 Zimbabwean dollars ($146; £112) per month, up from 1,033 Zimbabwean dollars, while the highest paid will get 4,631 Zimbabwean dollars.

Conservationist Homero Gomez has been found dead in Central Mexico two weeks after he went missing. He managed a butterfly sanctuary in the town of Ocampo in Michoacan state, a region notorious for its violent criminal gangs. He had campaigned for years to preserve the pine and fir forests where the butterflies hibernate.

About 1.4 million children could die from pneumonia over the next decade in Nigeria.

Billionaire cancels search for moon 'life partner', Yusaku Maezawa wanted a woman to accompany him to space - but she had to be over 20 and single.

US scientists have a vaccine for coronavirus ready for use before the end of the year.

US citizens arriving from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak will be quarantined for 72 hours.

France to ban mass culling of male chicks, billions of unwanted male chicks are killed by poultry and egg producers around the world every year.

Nigeria closes shop over coronavirus seafood fears, the consumer protection agency in Nigeria says it has closed down a Chinese-owned supermarket selling "illegally imported seafood and meat" in the capital, Abuja, over ongoing fears about the spread of coronavirus.

The Syrian government says it has captured Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, the last opposition stronghold.

Scottish exports increased by 2.9% in 2018, official figures suggest that total exports from Scotland, excluding oil and gas, increased to £85bn.

Ikea to shut half of its China stores.

Mozambique suspends visas for travellers from China.

French petition for Briton denied citizenship, carpenter has lived in France for 27 years but authorities say he does not earn enough.

A former security minister in Somalia's regional Jubaland state has escaped from police detention.

Starbucks closes 2,000 China outlets due to virus.

US police charged in killing of handcuffed man, the officer shot a man who was handcuffed inside a patrol car seven times.

A Kenyan female bus conductor who has a beard has shared how she was stripped naked in a police cell to confirm her gender.

29 Nigerian English words added to the Oxford English Dictionary for the first time.

A Canadian has been able to prove that doping is also transmitted through sexual intercourse.

Bulgaria, now meeting its natural gas demand with imports almost exclusively from Russia - about 3 billion cubic meters a year - is determined to replace it by half with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and Azerbaijan's new TANAP pipeline gas by the end of this year.

Italian scientists have identified the origin of a fragment of black vitreous mass found on the skeleton of one of the victims of the Vesuvius eruption. Analysis of the essential proteins and fats showed that it was the brain. The soft tissue of human remains vitrifies (vitrifies) rarely: until now, only cases of World War II bombing victims have been described.

US scientists say rising minimum wages are extremely beneficial to public health.

The German army will activate a new tank battalion that will be armed with 44 units of Leopard 2 tanks.

Iran says thousands of migrating birds have died by food poisoning at an important nature reserve.

Sustainable forests are being built in Ghana to balance business against conservation.

South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe has apologised for telling US President Donald Trump that Africans loved him.

Diamond-rich area hit by deadly clashes in CAR, officials in the Central African Republic (CAR) say about 50 people have been killed in ethnic clashes in the east of the country.

Netanyahu charges filed after immunity bid dropped, the Israeli prime minister had requested parliamentary immunity after being charged in November 2019.

Rwanda's government has started spraying insecticides in mosquito-breeding sites using drones.

Translucent frogs seen for first time in 18 years, conservationists spot three rare "glass frogs" in a Bolivian national park.

Suspected militants have killed dozens of people in the latest attack in Burkina Faso’s restive northern region, where jihadists have been carrying out frequent attacks.

A Kenyan high court has ordered the government to build public toilets along all highways.

The head of Libya's national oil corporation has urged the United States, France and the UK to do more to stop outside powers interfering in Libya.

Swiss firm Stadler has won a £362m contract to build a new fleet of trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro. It had been up against Spanish firm CAF and Japanese company Hitachi, which was ruled out last year despite having a manufacturing plant in County Durham. Stadler will be responsible for the maintenance of the 42-train fleet for up to 35 years, and will construct a new maintenance depot. Metro operator Nexus said new trains would be running by 2024 at the latest. The value of the contract is expected to rise to about £700m when the costs of decommissioning Metro's existing fleet from the 1980s is taken into account.

Nigeria's Lagos city to ban motorbike taxis.

Eight killed as fire engulfs 35 boats in US marina.

DNA test forces Belgian ex-king to admit paternity, Albert II has admitted he has a fourth child after years of fighting the paternity claim.

An Egyptian court has sentenced 37 people to jail for joining or supporting the Islamic State (IS) group in the Sinai peninsula.

Iran passenger jet slides off runway into highway, a Caspian Airlines passenger plane slid off the runway onto a highway while landing in Mahshahr.

It is 75 years since Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz, survivors laid wreaths at the site.

Basketball talent killed alongside father, the 13-year-old died in a helicopter crash in California that killed her father, Kobe Bryant.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered air strikes against bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers in forested areas bordering three major states in the north and centre of the country.

'Seven million Ethiopians in need of food aid, Ethiopia is Africa's second-most populous country with a population of approximately 113 million people.

Suicide bomber attacks Nigerian mosque.

Woman dies in Australian lamington-eating contest, the woman, aged 60, suffered a seizure while speed-eating the cakes during an Australia Day event.

Rockets hit US embassy in Baghdad.

'Militants on motorbikes' kill 20 troops in Mali.

At least 30 people have died during severe rainstorms in Brazil's Minas Gerais state.

On the third day of practice at NASA, the teenager discovered a new planet.

The EU, China and other countries have agreed on a temporary system for appealing trade judgments.

The world's richest people continue to get rich: three people have raised 231 billion.

In China, 26 people have already died from the deadly coronavirus epidemic, with a total of 830 infected. The virus has spread to Europe, with two patients confirmed in France.

Counterfeit euros are declining in Europe. According to the European Central Bank (ECB), 559,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation by police, traders and banks last year. Compared to the year before, the number of counterfeit notes was 4,000 lower, the lowest since 2013.

Researchers have discovered a human immune cell that kills many cancers.

Russia's largest commercial bank, state-controlled Sberbank, has reported successfully backed the most powerful cyberattack in its history.

Powerful earthquake strikes eastern Turkey, at least 14 people are killed and buildings collapse after the 6.8 magnitude quake.

UK tracing 2,000 Wuhan visitors over coronavirus, so far tests on 14 people in the UK have shown to be negative.

China marks Lunar New Year in shadow of virus.

Second coronavirus patient confirmed in US.

Huge rally as Iraqis demand US troops pull out.

At least 21 people have died in Madagascar following almost a week of flooding and landslides from torrential rain.

Man shoots dead six of his family in Germany, related to a family dispute.

China will continue to reform as it seeks to provide greater market access for global investors.

The Khoisan people of South Africa are to receive annual dividends from sales of the Rooibos plant.

Thousands apply for job on remote Irish island, the two successful candidates will live together without electricity and hot water for six months.

Uber has sold its food delivery service in India to local rival Zomato.

Nigeria's corruption watchdog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has filed multiple corruption charges against former Attorney General Mohammed Adoke, who is suspected of taking bribes to facilitate a $1.3bn (£845m) oil block sale.

Warning against cover-up as China virus cases jump, Beijing's top leaders urge transparency as it is confirmed the coronavirus can pass between people.

Chinese city 'shames' public pyjama wearers, the local authority said it was trying to promote "civilised" behaviour - but later apologised.

China sentences ex-Interpol chief to 13 years jail, in 2018, he vanished on a trip back to China from France and was later accused of corruption.

Hundreds of migrants stopped from entering Mexico, US-bound migrants who waded across a river are forced back and rounded up by the security forces.

Angola's prosecutor general has promised to use "all possible" means to bring Isabel dos Santos back to the country after leaked documents showed she was allowed to buy valuable state assets in a series of suspicious deals when her father was president. BBC Panorama and other journalists were given access to more than 700,000 leaked documents about the billionaire's business empire in what has become known as the Luanda Leaks.

A boy from Vietnam became a UK cannabis farm slave, Ba was a street child in Ho Chi Minh city. He ended up growing cannabis as a slave in the UK - until he escaped.

US gun rights activists rally in their thousands, after new gun laws were proposed in the state of Virginia, protesters had their firearms on open display.

Germany is relaxing language and fitness rules for some police posts to overcome a shortage of recruits.

Fake doctor jailed over electrocution experiments, a German man who convinced young women and girls to shock themselves on camera is given 11 years.

Man doused in petrol and set on fire, Irish police are searching for three men in relation to the incident in Cork.

Moscow gripped by mysterious bomb hoaxes, all Moscow's metro stations are among public sites targeted, but it is unclear who is responsible.

At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a wooden spectator stand collapsed during the Orthodox Christian celebration of epiphany in the Ethiopian city of Gondar.

Last year two billionaires in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth largest city, set about funding a brand new church in the city's park. But thousands of citizens protested against this, angry at the loss of public land. Some, like Viktor, also questioned the motives behind building a new church as opposed to restoring one of the many that were destroyed during the Soviet Union.

Video of French officer beating protester probed, the footage shows an officer repeatedly punching a man in the face at a Paris yellow-vest protest.

NI firm awarded government project in Uganda, Belfast-based Lagan will develop the Kampala Industrial Business Park in Uganda.

Five killed as boiling water floods Russian hotel.

Folk singer David Olney dies on stage mid-song, the 71-year-old singer-songwriter apologised to the audience before closing his eyes.

At least three people were killed when an oil pipeline caught fire in the Nigerian commercial capital, Lagos.

China to ban bags and other single-use plastic, one of the world's biggest users of plastic plans to phase out most single-use items by 2025.

Vernon Kruger is a South African who has taken up the challenge of sitting in a suspended barrel in the town of Dullstroom. The 52-year-old man has been living 25 metres above ground for more than 60 days in a bid to break a Guinness world record set by himself in 1997.

Two Colombian producers tell a British cocaine user they wouldn't take it as they know what's in it.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister resigns, over grasp of economics in a leaked recording.

Greece announces that it will block all EU decisions on Libya.

Danske Bank offers 2000 employees in Denmark an attractive retirement package as the costs of adjusting to stricter regulations and negative interest rates are constantly rising.

Scientists who studied one meteorite discovered the oldest material ever on Earth. They have found dust particles in space rocks that have fallen to Earth in the 1960s. And that dust is as much as 7.5 billion years old.

A 12-year-old girl was rescued after being stranded in the snow for 18 hours in a house in the Pakistani-administered area of Kashmir.

Metallic hydrogen is said to revolutionize science and technology and to be the best fuel in the world, two different groups of scientists claim to have created the material.

Microsoft has officially discontinued support for Windows 7.

Elon Musk, combining laser connectivity with numerous terrestrial terminals, will make Starlink Internet Service the fastest in the world. Such prediction is based on an analysis of documents submitted to the US regulator.

New particles found in Antarctica cannot be explained by physicists, the race to find out what they are started.

Scientists have found a way to keep the liver alive without the body for even a week.

Archaeologists have discovered rare swords, spears and knives among hundreds of artefacts found in the Suwalki region of eastern Poland that belong to a long-lived Lithuanian ancestry with a warring culture.

Once upon a time there was plenty of water on Mars; later it evaporated or turn into ice. Today's residual water continues to evaporate gradually. Rising high above the planet's surface, water vapor dissociates into oxygen and hydrogen; Mars' gravity does not retain hydrogen atoms, so this gas quickly escapes into space.

Burundian journalist Blaise Pascal Kararumiye, who works for the privately-owned Radio Isanganiro, is in police custody after reporting on misuse of public funds intended for public co-operatives.

At the same time, China's population hit 1.4 billion in 2019 - but the gender imbalance remains.

Panama finds seven dead in suspected sect exorcism.

Health leaders from seven African countries are meeting to sign an agreement criminalising trafficking in fake drugs, from which millions dying every year.

Missing girl and dog found in Australia floods, the girl, aged three, was spotted 3.5km from her home in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Hungary sends patrol boat to intercept migrants, about 100 are trying to cross illegally every day from Serbia and Romania.

Million birds feared dead in 'blob' ocean heatwave, seabirds that died off the US in 2015-16 probably starved because of warmer waters.

Billionaire guilty of trying to smuggle a Picasso, jailed for trying to get The Head of a Young Woman out of Spain to sell abroad.

Harry on first royal duty since talks with Queen, agreed living at 50/50 Canada/UK, the prince appears relaxed as he hosts the Rugby League World Cup draw at Buckingham Palace.

Judge orders 'unsafe' Rio Olympic Park to close, the site is now used for concerts and events but some parts have suffered from poor maintenance.

A South African nurse has converted part of her home into a clinic providing low-cost healthcare to residents of a township.

Uganda has protested over the seizure of milk and milk products worth $360,700 (£276,300) by the Kenyan authorities on allegations of being contraband and substandard.

Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola's former leader, is embroiled in a $1bn financial scandal.

Nile River mega dam row ends with draft deal.

Gunmen have killed six people, injured five and kidnapped others in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state.

A huge diamond unearthed in Botswana in April has been sold to French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed sum. The 1,758-carat stone is reportedly the second-largest found in a century.

Mexico to stop migrant group trying to reach US, hundreds of migrants have left Honduras and are now in Guatemala, where security has been stepped up.

Germany agrees to phase out coal power by 2038, the plan to shut down coal-fired power plants involves compensation of €40bn ($45bn; £34bn).

Man held at airport with 20 birds in suitcase, the Belgian traveller was trying to smuggle the protected species from Peru to Spain.

Ethiopian Airlines has announced it will start building a new $5bn (£3.8bn) airport in six months at a town located outside the capital, Addis Ababa.

Rain brings temporary relief in Australia.

Turkey ends Wikipedia ban after nearly 1,000 days.

Three aid workers have been released after being kidnapped by armed militants in north-eastern Nigeria's Borno state on 22 December.

Some 74 parents of children who have been excluded from schools in Malawi because they have dreadlocks have contacted the lawyer who is fighting to allow one schoolgirl back into the classroom.

Indian arrested after confessing to murder on TV, the man said he killed his girlfriend because of tensions between their families.

Turkey's foreign ministry has summoned the senior Egyptian diplomat in the country to protest against a raid by Egyptian police on the Cairo office of Turkey's state news agency.

Kenya’s Public Prosecutor Noordin Haji says the state has recovered stolen assets worth $20m (£15.3m) from corruption cases, however that is only 1% of an estimated $2bn (£1.53bn) worth of public money involved in high profile corruption cases.

Teenager found a new planet on the third day of his internship at the US space agency.

Epstein 'abused girls on his private islands', the case filed in the US Virgin Islands says the late financier molested girls as young as 12.

People from around the world are knitting blankets and clothes to help the animals hurt by Australia's bushfires. People are making pouches for orphaned kangaroos, mittens for burnt koalas, and blankets for bats which have lost their homes.

Security forces in Saudi Arabia have reportedly arrested a number of people accused of trying to smuggle cheetahs into the country.

Thousands of Eritreans, including many children, continue to flee Eritrea because of human rights abuses and the nation's indefinite national service.

First woman appointed to senior Vatican office, Francesca Di Giovanni has been hired in the Secretariat of State and will co-ordinate with the UN.

United Nations sanctions experts have told potential attendees of a cryptocurrency conference in North Korea that if they attend it would violate international sanctions.

Lebanon protesters hit banks in 'week of wrath', Riot police met with resistance as demonstrators in Beirut continue demand a new government.

Mozambique’s government has paid lawyers around 100m meticais ($1.6m; £1.2m) to try and keep the former finance minister from facing trial in the US.

Plane dumps fuel over Los Angeles schools, at least 60 children and adults were treated after a jet released fuel during an emergency landing.

Amazon's Bezos announces $1bn Indian investment.

Trump launches fresh attack on Apple over privacy, the firm rejects claims that it is shielding criminals by refusing to co-operate with investigators.

Tesco faces Thai regulatory threat to $10bn deal, as Tesco gets ready to unload its Thai and Malaysian assets, regulatory hurdles may stop it from getting the price it wants.

Since 2017, thousands of Kazakh Muslims have been detained in China’s infamous re-education camps.

For the first time in 28 years the population of Lithuania has been growing.

At the forefront of the Chinese fleet, ‘Nanchang’ marks the beginning of a new generation of ships.

United Kingdom financial technology startup Revolut Bank, which has a Lithuanian banking license, has joined the Lithuanian Banking Association.

Iran admits 'unintentionally' shooting down plane. Several persons suspected of being involved in the shooting down of a Ukrainian aircraft have been arrested.

The Turkish president began deploying his troops to civil war-torn Libya to support a foreign-recognized leadership in Tripoli. Turkey's goal is to protect Tripoli and help the Libyan National Conservation Government, under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), to remain in power. After The Libyan military strongman Gen Khalifa Haftar has left Moscow without signing a ceasefire agreement with the UN-backed Libyan government.

Animals can evolve backwards - to regain their ancestral traits. In the past, scientists thought it was impossible, but new algorithms and gene analysis have shown that this has happened to lizards, frogs and even humans.

In 2019, Volvo Cars achieved its sixth consecutive year of record sales and, for the first time in 93 years in the company's history, saw sales rise 9.8 percent year-on-year and total 705,452 new cars sold last year.

A teachers' union in Kenya has threatened to evacuate teachers out of an area where three teachers were killed if the government does not improve security. The deadly attack happened in Kamuthe in Garissa county. A telecommunications mast and a police camp were also targeted.

Nigerians online are angry after President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter Hanan travelled in a presidential jet to Bauchi in northern Nigeria for a private function.

Irish police were alerted when human limbs were found in a bag outside houses.

French priest to face sex abuse accusers in court, men 74, is alleged to have assaulted dozens of Boy Scouts in the 1980s and 1990s.

Ireland and UK is visited by storm Brendan swepting east.

Giant sinkhole swallows bus in China, killing six.

Two protesters have been shot dead by security forces in Guinea, on the first day of open-ended protests against President Alpha Condé's suspected plan to amend the constitution so he can serve a third term.

US expels 21 Saudi military cadets after gun attack.

France and Sahel nations step up jihadist fight, the partners form a joint command to tackle Islamist insurgents in the African region.

Iran denies shooting anti-government protesters, videos posted online recorded what appeared to be gunfire and showed blood on the streets.

Venice canals almost dry, two months after floods.

Israeli police have arrested a rabbi who is suspected of holding around 50 women and children in conditions of slavery.

China accuses West of 'Cold War' against Zimbabwe.

Hundreds of live scorpions rescued from smuggler

Scorpion, the Chinese man was caught in Sri Lanka with the live animals hidden in his check-in luggage.

Authorities in News South Wales are dropping vegetables from the air to feed wallabies.

Philippine Taal volcano begins spewing lava, people evacuating.

The military in the Democratic Republic of Congo says it has captured a rebel camp in the east of the country from where many attacks were planned.

A Russian train is delayed for more than 40 minutes after a camel takes a run along the tracks.

Love Island ratings dip for winter series launch, more than 2.5 million people tuned in for the launch of the first winter series on Sunday.

Siemens resists climate protests over coal project, the German engineering giant says it cannot back out of a huge coal mining deal in Queensland.

Arab world's longest-serving ruler dies at 79, Sultan Qaboos deposed his father in a bloodless coup in 1970 and set Oman on a path to development.

Texas to reject new refugees under Trump order, governor Greg Abbott says the state's resources should be focused on "those who are already here".

Lithuania's five largest umbrella organizations are withdrawing from the agreement signed in 2017 on the reforms needed for the country's progress.

Year-on-year (12-month) inflation in Ukraine fell to 4.1 percent in 2019 from 9.8 percent the year before.

The captured images stunned scientists: a waking black hole "swallowed" a nearby star for a week.

Internal documents released by US giant Boeing show that employees at the company mocked US aviation regulators and excelled at being certified by the notorious Boeing 737 Max with only minimal pilot training.

Samsung has introduced an "artificial man" who can talk and sympathize with the real person: "NEONs" will be our friends, collaborators and companions, they will constantly learn and evolve.

A massive drought in Australia will result in the shooting of 10,000 camels. Animals threaten remote Aboriginal settlements. worldsite.co.uk suggesting better to sell or give away to poor countries and outraged Somalis are urging Australians to stop culling camels, and to instead send the animals to the Horn of Africa so that they can look after them.

LG has introduced an exciting device that lets you grow vegetables in the kitchen.

Iran commander: We planned more strikes against US and seeks to drive US forces from the Middle East. The US president said no Americans were harmed after Iran targeted bases housing US forces in Iraq. A total of 16 missiles were launched from at least three sites in Iran. At least 11 of them struck the air base in Al Asad, west of Baghdad, and at least one more hit the Irbil base. Several other missiles landed at some distance from the targets and one didn't even detonated. Western powers suggest Iran missile downed a Ukrainian airliner with 176 passengers. Canada leads calls for a full and thorough investigation of the Ukrainian passenger jet crash, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau says sources suggest the Iran plane crash was caused by a missile. Iran won't give plane black boxes to Boeing or US.

Attack on Niger army base kills 25 soldiers, Niger and its neighbours are struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency in West Africa.

Australia legend Shane Warne raises one million Australian dollars (£528,514) for the bushfire appeal after his "baggy green" Test cap is sold at auction.

South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has called for the legalisation of the cannabis trade in order to collect more tax revenue.

Israel frees jailed Syrians in 'goodwill gesture', the two, jailed for spying and murder, were freed after an Israeli soldier's body was handed over.

Brazil supreme court lifts ban on 'gay Jesus' film, the court rules that Netflix can stream a parody film where Jesus brings home a presumed boyfriend.

Lewis Hamilton pledges more than £380,000 to help animal welfare charities and the fire service battling bushfires in Australia.

A major meeting on the future of Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam - currently being built on the River Nile - has ended without agreement in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. This is the fourth meeting in the latest efforts by water ministers from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to find a resolution to the tensions over the project.

Prisoners starve to death in DR Congo, seventeen people have died in the country's biggest jail where it is feared another 100 are close to dying.

Sandwich poisoning victim dies after years in coma, the young German man was targeted by a work colleague who peppered his lunch with mercury and lead.

Somalia-based jihadist group al-Shabab says its attack on a Kenyan naval base used by US forces was carried out with "guidance" from the head of al-Qaeda.

Buckingham Palace was "blindsided" by Prince Harry and Meghan's statement they were stepping back from their roles.

Police in northern Nigeria say they have rescued 27 children from two illegal orphanages operating in Kano and Kaduna states.

A locust infestation in the Horn of Africa has spread to eastern Kenya, where farmers are fearful of crop losses.

The pneumonia which struck the Chinese city of Wuhan was caused by a new virus.

Norway has offered to take in 500 migrants who were evacuated to Rwanda from Libyan detention centres.

The US government has imposed sanctions on South Sudan’s First Vice President. Taban Deng Gai is accused of human rights abuses and trying to derail the country’s peace process. Negotiations aiming to get the peace deal back on track have stalled since it was signed last year.

Women fed up with being forced to cover up their breasts are challenging American laws about nudity.

'Child stowaway' found dead in plane undercarriage, a body was discovered after an Air France flight had arrived in Paris from Ivory Coast.

Three die in Somali capital car bomb, a few days before another car bomb which exploded at a busy junction in the Somali capital has wounded at least 11 people.

UK puts ships and helicopters on standby in Gulf.

UK teen returns home after false rape claim trial, she lands back in the UK after being given a four-month suspended sentence in Cyprus.

Investors demand € 896 million from Daimler. German luxury car maker Daimler has been the subject of a collective investor lawsuit for damage caused by a diesel scandal.

In the depths of Russia, has found the graves of women's warriors: the myths about Amazons are real.

Russian President Vladimir Putin came to Damascus and met with Syrian leader Bashar al Assad there.

Iran, at least 40 people were killed and more than 200 injured during a funeral procession for a General killed in Baghdad.

Archaeologists have found hundreds of antique weapons and other items on the site of an ancient cemetery in the Suwalki region (Poland).

The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy is inviting residents to apply and receive support for solar power plants: 9 million euros in support.

97% of teens play computer games. It doesn't have to be a problem. Computer games can develop memory and even eye and hand coordination. But they also hinder concentration and distraction. But not the new Tenacity that scientists have designed and tested.

From the beginning of 2020, the Netherlands will no longer use the name "Holland" in its official logo.

British teenager sentenced over false rape claim, she is free to return home to the UK after being given a four-month suspended sentence in Cyprus.

A woman who had a facial tumour gets a new face thanks to a digitally engineered prosthesis.

Nine die after boy picks up discarded grenade, twenty-six people were wounded in the blast on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

Court sets execution date for Delhi gang rapists, an Indian court has said the men will hang on 22 January, after they have exhausted their appeals.

Lesotho's police commissioner has accused Prime Minister Thomas Thabane of involvement in the murder of his estranged wife two years ago.

Baby left on Russian balcony freezes to death, an investigation is launched after a seven-month-old boy is left outside in temperatures of -7C.

Ikea to pay $46m after child killed by drawers, the furniture giant reached the settlement after a two-year-old was crushed by falling drawers.

Thousands in Guinea march in anti-government protest.

Almost 2,000 homes destroyed in Australian fires. 'Nothing left to eat' for animals after bushfires.

Police in Uganda have arrested a Liberian missionary who they accuse of faking his own kidnapping and demanding a 74m Ugandan shilling ($20,000; £15,000) ransom.

Brent crude - which is the international benchmark for buyers and sellers of oil - is down 1.1% at $68.14 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate is off 1% at $62.61.

Several people have been killed in a blast in north-eastern Nigeria, on a bridge leading to the border with Cameroon. The improvised explosive device detonated on Monday evening in the town of Gamborou in Borno state, killing at least 30 people

More than 60,000 Mexicans 'disappeared' in drug war, the number is 20,000 higher than the previous estimate, which was issued in 2018.

Italian teenagers hijack ambulance to treat friend, they forced hospital staff in Naples to attend a 16-year-old with a minor knee sprain.

Thousands of people have marched through the streets of the Liberian capital, Monrovia, to protest against President George Weah's handling of the economy - which has seen spiralling inflation. The demonstrators want Mr Weah to say what happened to $25m (£19m) that the government withdrew from the country's Federal Reserve Account in 2018 in an effort to stabilise the economy.

In Libya, rebel forces loyal to Gen Khalifar Haftar say they have entered and seized large parts, including the airport, of the coastal city of Sirte.

Three men are being interrogated over an attempt to break into a British base in central Kenya.

The Islamic police force in northern Nigeria's Kano state says it has released 15 people who were arrested for being "crossdressers" and being involved in "gay activities".

In Mali say five soldiers have been killed in a roadside bomb attack on a military convoy near the border with Mauritania.

US federal site hacked with pro-Iranian message, visitors to the site were met with a photoshopped image of a bloodied Donald Trump.

Turkish forces will support the UN-backed government in Libya as it battles an insurgency.

The US president warns Iraq of sanctions "like they've never seen before" if US troops are expelled.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said troops have begun moving into Libya to ensure stability for the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

The price of getting away with murder in Pakistan, thanks to forgiveness laws, murder doesn't always result in a jail sentence - or even a trial.

Iran lifts all limits on uranium enrichment, effectively ending its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Thousands of Iranians mourn the death of an Iranian general chanting 'death to America'. The United States is sending even more troops to the Middle East, US troops have arrived in Kuwait and thousands more may be deployed as tensions with Iran escalate.. Iran's top military commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a strike by the US on the way to Baghdad airport. Iran vows 'severe revenge' for top general's death. Baghdad protesters target US embassy.

The first baby born this year in Norway is Lithuanian.

When Russia stops supplying oil to Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia are helping out.

Geros Dujos, Lithuania, Vilnius has been fined EUR 28.6 thousand for manipulating the market at the GET Baltic gas exchange.

Israel's unique and amazingly effective ALPHA DaRT method is so effective that over 78% of cases completely eradicate the cancer tumor.